The Man Underneath
by Ficwriter356
Summary: Scott Summers (a.k.a Cyclops) is the fearless leader of the X-Men. People think he has it all and has it easy. Little do they know about his life and his past. When things unravel, will he still be calm and composed or will he turn to his old self? This story takes place when Scott is still in Bayville High and Jean and Duncan are in a relationship.
1. Chapter 1

Scott Summers was in his room with palms on his face. He rubbed them intently on his forehead, trying to get rid of the impending migraine. The danger room session which took place this evening was pretty brutal. Having to lead a team of whiny teenagers was bad enough without a restless night with his nightmares. The sleepless nights were taking a toll on his mental and physical well being. It wasn't easy being a teenage mutant superhero, living up to the expectations of his mentor, Charles Xavier. He had to put on an impenetrable goody-two-shoes façade in front of everyone just because the old man said so. In some twisted part of his mind, he felt like he owed it to Xavier for rescuing him from the horror show that was his childhood. He put all the shit life had thrown at him at the back of his mind to lead his perfect little team with his perfect little mutant life. Then he met Jean. The girl who he thought he fell in love with, at least, that's what his brain processed it as.

Life wasn't easy as a regular normal human, but life sure as hell wasn't better as a freak with red sunglasses who was supposed to be a role model. Someone who got perfect grades and wore perfect clothes and was just fucking perfect. All he asked for was to be alone. He didn't understand people, people always hurt him, like his parents for dying, his brother for supposedly dying, Mr. Milburry for abusing him, the children at the orphanage for bullying him, the Bogarts for disappearing on him. The list went on. So, when an old man called Charles Xavier showed up and didn't hurt him or physically manipulate him, he did what his abused teenage brain could do: Accept him and look up to him like he was God. Of course he couldn't deny the old man's wish. The dream. It was his only wish after all and he didn't want to crush it by saying or thinking, "You're wrong. Your dream will never work. Just like Erik's." So he didn't. He shoved that thought into the black box in his head. If someone wasn't out to hurt him, he would hurt them with his powers. It made sense that after all the shit life had already given him, it would give him uncontrollable mutant powers that could put a hole in a mountain and took away his abilities to look someone in the eye.

He didn't get people and by the looks of what people called him behind his back, people didn't get him either. Normal human interaction was more confusing than battle plans. And frankly, he could do away with mean nicknames like 'Mr Stick up his ass' or 'Mr Perfect' or 'Mr Military'.  
He didn't have a good past. He couldn't be happy like Jean or be funny like Kurt because he knew his happiness would never last. Especially not for him. People always died on him. Just like his Parents.

From living in an orphanage of fear and escaping, to living on the streets and learning how to steal and then being caught and surviving in a juvenile hall, to living as a fugitive with Jack Winters and being physically and emotionally assaulted, his life had been hell. He was an orphan. Broken from inside because of the turmoil of losing his parents and his brother, Alex from the plane crash. He had been in a coma for a year. He discovered he had powers. He was a mutant who caused destruction by merely opening his eyes. He learnt to keep his eyes tightly shut, so no one could get hurt. He was blind without actually being blind. Oh, the irony. He had migraines from his powers being blocked constantly. Resorting to drinking , smoking up just so he could ease the pain, and then being locked up in juvenile hall for supposedly stealing where he would be tortured and tormented by fellow prisoners, his life certainly wasn't as perfect as others had deemed it to be.

The nights at juvie were bad. On one of the nights, the prisoners had grouped together and tried to kill him. He tried fighting but it was too much. He did what he had to do and opened his eyes. The man in front of him practically flew several feet away and died. This was the first time he killed someone. On the verge of tears, he made his escape from the shattered walls, only to find himself in the clutches of a thief named Jack Winters.

All this reminiscing wasn't helping. He looked into the large mirror and saw a guy who he didn't know. Because all this time, he never found himself. Standing in front of him was a stranger wearing Khaki pants and a blue sweater. If two years ago, anyone would have said that he'd be living in a mansion, eating three meals a day and have a decent room to sleep in, he would have called them crazy. He could never be himself. Before this life, he was Scott Summers the poor orphan freak and now he was Cyclops, the leader of X-Men, the stiff, the guy with a stick up his ass, Xavier's puppet. If anyone asked him who he was, he wouldn't know what to answer.

"Who are you, Scott Summers?" the man in front of the mirror asked himself.

Frankly, the mirror was pissing him off. Or was it all this emotional build up? He didn't know. He wasn't good with emotions anyway. Frustration gave way to anger.

"Fuck. Fuck everything!" He Yelled.

Scott grabbed the keys to his Shelby cobra and placed his wallet in his back pocket. He exited his room and headed to the garage. It was 11.00 pm on a school night and past curfew. Normally, he would never break the rules but he felt like he needed to escape. He needed a release and sitting in his room while thinking about the past was not doing him any good.

* * *

Charles Xavier knew about Scott's tragic past. At the beginning when it was just him, Ororo, Logan and Scott, he was accustomed to Scott disappearing at nights and coming back home in the early mornings reeking of alcohol and sometimes even marijuana. The smell was distinct. Luckily, Logan was hardly around during this phase. He had given Scott the free will to do as he pleased, knowing that if he forced him to quit, it would never go well. More than anything, he was afraid of the young man taking off and being used by another criminal. Charles learnt it the hard way when one morning he had interfered on Scott's 'ritual' by entering his mind uninvited. Scott had disappeared for a week and Charles vowed not to read his mind unless necessary. Scott had still not trusted anyone at the mansion, not that he blamed the boy.

"I wish there was something I could do." Charles sighed to Ororo while looking outside his window.

"I know what you mean. But, sometimes all you can do is sit and wait. He has to make his own choices and mistakes that come with it. You must understand how hard it is for him to be an effective leader and a strong example to all his fellow X-Men when all his life he was being used. Not to mention, Jean going out with Duncan. Scott really likes her. It must be difficult for him to watch them together. It was bound to happen, Charles." Ororo spoke with a look of understanding in her face.

"I just wish for him to get better. He won't be able to lead a team effectively unless he learns to not let emotions rule him." He told Ororo.

"Not let emotions rule him? He hardly does that! Because of you, everyone thinks he's some kind of a robot! He is a kid. Not your child solider. Sometimes I think you forget that he's just a teenager and needs to act like one." Ororo glared at the man in the wheelchair with disdain.

"What are you saying Ororo? How is it my fault? I gave him a home. I mentored him. He's...he's like my son! I cannot let him be as he used to with all the fear. The boy did drugs and spewed verbal obscenities when we first met him! You know how Jack Winters broke him. I cannot let my students see that!" Charles spoke back with a hitch in his voice.

"If he's your son, then treat him like one. All i'm saying is, you need to give him a break." Ororo said to the bald man in front of her with sadness in her eyes.

"It's just hard...I've.. I've never been a father to anyone. And Scott's the most difficult kid I could have gotten." he said with a quiver.

"I understand it can be tough. But what Scott needs is a father. Not a battle mentor." She closed her eyes and walked away from him.

'Sigh. But how?' Charles spoke to himself and shook his head. He rolled his wheelchair and left the room with grief hanging over his head.

* * *

Night at the Xavier mansion meant, students looming in the kitchen or the recreation room. Some afraid to go to sleep and some awake just because they were teenagers. Three figures were sitting in the kitchen, discussing about their recent failed danger room simulation.

"Kurt, cut it out!" Kitty whined as Kurt tried to steal the cookies on her plate. She swatted his had away while glaring at him.

"Hey! Easy there. You don't want to break this image inducer the professor built for me." Kurt jerked his hand away to see if his watch was working fine.

"Ugh. You guys need to grow up." Rogue chimed in with a frown on her face while she was trying to peacefully drink her glass of orange juice and read the book in silence. She was tired of their childish bickering everyday.

"Speaking of grown up, did you see how mad Scott was at us today for failing our danger room session?" Kurt asked the group with a small frown.

"Yeah. He needs to chill out. It's not like we all have it as easy as he does! He obviously has more experience in the danger room unlike us. I mean, give me a break!" Kitty said with a pout.

"You guys don't even know him. Maybe he just wants us to be safe and to be safe you need to take these lessons seriously." Rogue mentioned as she went back to reading her book while avoiding looking at them in the eyes, afraid they would know she had a soft spot for their field leader.

They heard soft footsteps and turned their heads watching Evan and Bobby appear out of the shadows.

"He's probably had it easy all his life. Ya know. Straight A's and a clean record." Evan chimed in while giving them a knowing smirk.

"It seems too good to be true. Nobody can be that perfect. We might have to do some digging. If we find some dirt on him, we could at least get away from a danger room session." Bobby said with an evil grin.

"You two need to get a life." Rogue inwardly rolled her eyes at the thought of Bobby being evil. Everyone had known Bobby was a goof. He thought he could be evil, but he really couldn't. The Iceman wasn't as cold as people thought him to be. She gave him about ten seconds before he turned into a puddle of goo after seeing some cute puppy videos online. It was still comforting to know that he wasn't as jaded as herself.

"Scott's a good guy. But Rogue! Think about all the free time we'll have if we don't have to sweat all day in the danger room!" Kitty said excitedly.


	2. Chapter 2

"Not very far away from the Xavier Institute, Scott parked his car and entered a bar. He went straight to the counter and asked for his usual drink at bars "Scotch. Neat. Keep it coming"

The bartender looked at him curiously. He was a big man with long blond hair tied up "Aren't you a little too young to be drinking, kid? I'm gonna have to see an ID.  
Not new to this situation, and having experienced it in various bars, he reached for his wallet and took out the fake ID and showed it to the bartender. The bartender eyed him suspiciously for a minute and shrugged and went back to serving him the scotch. After 5 glasses of alcohol he lit up a joint, clearly failing to see the sign placed in the bar."No joints allowed here, kid" came the voice of the bartender.

He looked up, nodded and bought a bottle of Whiskey. He went straight to his car. From there, he drove towards a secluded spot. It was his hideout for whenever he wanted some peace or time away from the mansion. He reached the clearing and parked his car on the secluded forest like area. He sat on the hood and lit up his joint. Taking out a long drag, he sighed and opened the bottle of alcohol and started drinking while looking at the yellow tinted night sky. He was in pain and just wanted to numb his senses. Not many knew of the fact that with his Ruby Quartz glasses on, he could only see in yellow, where as without his glasses, he could see in red. Everyone just assumed he saw red. While yellow and red were both not his favorite color, he was thankful he could see.

"I can't do this anymore. I just can't. I'm better off alone" He thought out loud as melancholy radiated around him. He was tired and worn out. After completing half the bottle, his vision grew hazy. His hobbled towards the car and sat inside. He contemplated if he should drive or not.

It was 1.30 AM. Since he was not in the right frame of mind, he chose to drive. He started driving and picked up the speed. He was going way past the speed limit at 100 miles per hour. With the wind in his hair and tears in his eyes, he drove around the secluded forest road and unfortunately missed a turn which send him crashing his car. It went flying and toppled over the rocks. He was still in the car. Unconscious.

Charles woke up from his nightmare. He sensed Scott was in trouble and quickly called out to Ororo and Logan. He asked Hank to take care of the children.

 **Meanwhile (in the kitchen at the Xavier Institute)**

Rogue was seated on the stool next to the table. She was engrossed in her book. The others had gone up to their rooms. She couldn't sleep. She had a strange feeling that something wasn't right. She was nervous and fidgety. After some contemplation she finally decided to go up to the room she shared with Kitty and sleep it off. While she was heading upstairs she heard a sound and turned around. Ororo and Logan were running towards the front doors.

"Hey, what's going on ya guys? Everything alright?" She asked the two people reaching the front door.

"No. Cyke's in trouble" Logan growled and opened the door.

"Stay here Rogue. We are going to get him back." Storm quickly added and closed the door behind her.

"Wait!" Rogue shouted. "What happened to him? Is he alright?"

"That, we will have to wait and see. Rogue, why are you still up?" Came a voice from behind.

She quickly turned and saw that the professor sitting in his wheelchair.

"What happened to him?" Rogue asked.

"He's been in an accident"

"What? I thought he was in his room, asleep!"

"I'm afraid not. Why don't you go upstairs and we will fill you in with the details tomorrow?" Charles spoke in a falsely placed calm tone.

"No. I wan't to see if he's okay!." Rogue cried. "I can't go to sleep knowing he's in trouble."

"Very well then, i request you to keep this to yourself. Let's not trouble the others." The professor added.

"Alright. But why? The others deserve to know if Scott is in trouble!"

"Yes, but not this time Rogue. Not this time"

"Why not?" Rogue asked out louder than she had meant to.

"Because he has been drinking and driving. He will be fine. He's alive. Now i don't want others to know about this." He mustered up as bravely as he could while not being able to conceal the shame showing on his face.

Rogue, confused at what the professor just said, looked at him. "What? Scott doesn't drink!"

"I'm afraid you don't know much about him Rogue. Now, i need to attend to other matters." With that the professor turned and went to wake Hank up.

Rogue stood there. Stunned. She couldn't believe what was happening. She quickly went and sat near the front door, waiting for Scott to arrive. She shivered uncomfortably at the possibility of him being injured. What had happened to him? Why was he drinking? Questions poured into her mind and she decided to wait for her answers.

 **At the crash site**

"Sniff, I smell him 'Ro. He's somewhere close" mentioned Logan, focused on Scott's scent.

They reached the crash site and looked at his car. "Oh my god. Scott." Ororo gasped in shock, looking at the car. A shiver ran through her spine.

Logan sniffed around and tried to look in the car and see Scott. He wasn't there. There was blood in the car. He looked around and tried finding him. He traced the blood droplets and saw it leading to a tree a few steps ahead. He saw Scott leaning against the tree, his body was wounded and covered in blood.

They went up to him and saw that he was unconscious. Ororo checked his pulse and informed to her companion, "He's still alive" she said shakily.

Logan nodded and put him in the van. Ororo placed his head on her lap and soothed Scott, she put on a brave face and told him everything was going to be alright. Unable to keep a brave face, she teared up and whispered "Stay alive Scott. Please don't die on us." She couldn't believe the state he was in.

Meanwhile Logan telepathically spoke to Charles "We found him Chuck. His car is totaled. He doesn't look good. Looks like Hank will be needed. We are coming over"

"Alright Logan, we will be waiting" Charles sighed. He was distraught. He didn't want to lose Scott.


	3. Chapter 3

_**On the Road**_

"Chuck, we need a stretcher. I hope you and Hank are ready. He's lost a lot of blood" Said Logan to the Professor Telepathically.

"We're ready Logan. Just get him here soon" Professor Xavier told the young man with a depressed voice.

 _ **Back at the mansion**_

Hank came over to the front door with the stretcher. "Rogue, do you mind helping me?"

Rogue saw the stretcher and her skin paled. She shuddered at the thought of Scott being hurt. "How is he?" She managed to choke out the words.

"To be honest, not good. But the professor tells me he hasn't overdosed. He's injured badly."

Rogue looked down and let out a sob. Hank looked at her and said "We are going to try our best to make sure he's alright. Scott is a strong man. He won't give up easily."

Rogue looked up at him and nodded silently, unable to speak.

 _ **Arrival**_

The X-Van arrived. The doors to the van opened. Storm stepped out, in tears. Her suit and hands were stained in blood.

Hank and Logan lifted Scott up and put him on the stretcher.

Rogue saw him. He looked pale and cold. His head was bleeding and there were gashes on his chest. His shirt torn, His glasses were cracked. Hank quickly replaced the glasses for his visor and rushed the stretcher inside. Her heart ached at this sight.

"We need to rush him quick, his pulse is weak" Said Hank in a hurry.

The infirmary doors opened and he placed the Boy on the operating table. Soon, tubes were sticking out of him for life support. Hank quietly operated on him while the others waited outside the doors. Ororo helped Hank out.

Rogue could hear the sounds of the machine. Her heart raced. This was bad.

Moments later...

"He's been stabilized for now" Hank continued working on scott.

After what seemed like hours, Ororo opened the door and stepped out.

Charles, Logan and Rogue looked up at her waiting for her to say something. A sad smile appeared on Ororo's face. She looked exhausted. "He's going to be fine. There are no permanent damages. Although he will have to rest up. Hank is in there with him. You should all get some sleep. He and I will take turns watching him. Its 4.00 AM and you have school tomorrow Rogue. Go to bed." She looked over at Rogue. She looked very upset. She knew how the young woman felt for Scott.

"No, I want to stay with him, please. I can't leave" Rogue responded, her shoulders were shaking. She was crying. "I can't lose him. He's the only one who understands me and my powers."

The professor sighed. "Very well then. We are not going to lose him. You can take the day off from school. But only this one time. Ororo, lets go to my office. We have pressing matters to discuss"

Ororo nodded. "You can go in and see him if you want to Rogue. Everything's going to be fine. He is alseep. He should wake up in a few hours." She looked at the young woman and went away with the professor.

Logan strolled behind the professor and Ororo.

Rogue looked at the door. She opened it and saw a weak Scott lying there. It broke her heart seeing him like that. She wanted to know why he did this. But that had to wait. She grabbed his hand and entwined it with her gloved hands. She did not want to let go. She stared at his wounds. He looked vulnerable.

"Well, if you plan on staying here, I'm going to return to my office. Let me know if you need anything Rogue" Hank spoke and left her alone with the leader of the X-Men.

Rogue just nodded and didn't bother to look up. All she could do was look at Scott. The Sadness in her eyes was unbearable. She had come close to losing him. Losing the guy she cared about.

She stayed there all night. Holding his hand. Soon she let go off his hand and drifted off to an uncomfortable sleep on the chair she was sitting at.

 _ **Meanwhile (at Professor Xavier's Office)**_

"Charles, we need to do something about Scott! He's not getting any better with his life here." Ororo explained in a shaky voice.

"Sigh. I know. I can't watch him suffer like this. I think we should give him a break. Storm, would you mind leading the X-Men for a few days until he recuperates?"

"Yes, but don't you think we should do something?"

"There's nothing we can do about this. He has to come out of it on his own or i will have to step in and erase some of his memories."

"What?! How can you say that? He cares about you. He knows you care for him Charles, but i think it would be best if we don't do that!" Ororo was shocked at the way the professor was behaving.

"I can't lose him Storm. He's a great leader. I have great hopes for the X-Men. He's one of the best leaders we have met so far. I met Nick Fury a month ago. Even he attests that Cyclops is a master Tactician and Strategist. According to his files, Scott's abilities are at their best in tense situations. Fury notes that the less time Cyclops has to think about a decision, the better that decision is. I don't want to see him waste his life. Something must be done."

"CHUCK, he's a kid. He needs time!" Logan shouted as his claws popped out. Storm placed a hand on his shoulder. He calmed down for a moment. "I don't disagree with Patchy or You. But he needs time."

"I agree with Logan. We all know that Scott means a lot to you and to us. We know that he is great at what he does. But this needs time. You can't erase his memories just because he can't handle himself right now."

"I know storm, Logan. But i just don't like seeing him suffer. Sometimes i think it would be easier if he din't remember his past. It would hurt him less"

"Four wheels. Take it from a guy who had his memories erased. You don't want to do that and i won't let ya do that." Logan growled softly.

"I'm not going to Logan. But i hope it doesn't come to that."

Ororo and Logan looked at the professor disapprovingly. She knew the professor was capable of doing that. She knew about his need to protect his loved ones from pain. But she also knew the dark side of him. She hoped he din't mean it and hoped it was just the fatigue talking.

She looked at them and said "It's late. Lets discuss this with a clear head in the morning"

"There's nothing to discuss. Four wheels ain't gonna hurt the kid. I won't let him." Logan frowned and said in a gruff voice.

"You're right. I have decided to give Scott some time. I hope he gets better. I can only hope. Sigh. Goodnight you two." having said that, the professor rolled out of the office.

"Goodnight Charles. Logan." Ororo said and went towards her room.

Logan grunted as he left towards his room.

 _Thank you all for your reviews! It really helps! :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_**7.00 AM**_

"Yawn...mmm..Still tired. I hate school days. Hmm. Like where's Rogue? Her bed doesn't look slept in" Kitty spoke out aloud knowing she was alone in the room.

She grabbed her robe, phased through the wall and went to the common bathroom. Students were waking up. She heard them grumble and head towards the bathroom trying to beat each other to it.

"Vormittag* Kitty Kat" Kurt bamfed in front of her face and bumped into her.

"Ugh. Like Kurt! Watch where you're going. You like almost made me fall!" Kitty shouted at Kurt. "Have you seen rogue?"

"No. She's your roommate! You should be knowing."

"I don't think she came up last night."

"What? Are you sure? Lets go to the Professor. My sister is missing!"

"Whoa, Rogue's missing?" Even broke in.

Kurt din't answer. He grabbed Kitty's hand and teleported them to the Professor's study.

"Cough. Jeez. I'm never waking up in the mornings again." Evan grumbled.

"Hey Evan. Why so grumpy man? Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?" Bobby asked Evan.

"Nah. I met Kurt and Kitty. He bamfed in my face. He spoke something about Rogue missing."

"What? Does this mean we don't have to go to school?"

"You wish. Lets go downstairs and find Auntie O'. She can tell us if anything has happened."

They raced downstairs and found Ororo sitting on the table drinking Coffee. She looked tired as if she had been up all night.

"Morning Auntie O'. Hey, you alright? You look bad." Evan said, worried for her.

"I'm fine Evan. Just had a long night. What do you boys want?"

"Kurt said Rogue was missing and bamfed in my face."

"What? She's not missing. She's in the infirmary."

"Is she okay?" Bobby asked concerned.

"She's alright but.." She turned around and looked at Charles, Kitty and Kurt approaching.

"She's pre-occupied at the moment. Scott won't be able to drive you to school today, so why don't you ask Jean for a ride?" Charles interjected.

"What happened to Scott? Jean left. Her dumb Jock Boyfriend Picked her up" Evan asked. He was confused.

"Evan. Don't call people names" Storm glared at him.

"Scott's been in an accident. He's asleep right now. You can visit him after school. As for now, you will have to take the bus."

"What? How did he get into an accident?" Kurt asked, astonished. The others were just as shocked.

"I will tell you the details later. It's nothing to worry about. You kids are going to be late for school." The Professor said calmly. He was bombarded with thoughts of everyone around him. They were worried.

"Professor, is he like alright?" Kitty asked. She had fear in her eyes.

"He's alright Kitty. He just needs some rest. Oh and i hope you keep this to yourselves. We don't want others to worry now. And we have a long day ahead of us. I'll see you kids after school" Charles looked up as he talked, reassuring them that everything was fine.

"Can we see him now?" Kurt asked. Worry etching his face.

"No. I'm afraid not. He's resting. I would rather you see him after school." The professor sighed. He hated seeing his students worry.

"Umm. Alright Professor. We'll be back after school." Kitty said as they left.

 _ **8.00 AM**_

"Man, I wonder what happened to Scott." Evan mentioned as they were boarding the bus.

"I hope our fearless leader is alright. But look at the bright side. No Danger Room Session. Oh Yeeeah!" Bobby chimed in trying to lighten up the mood.

Kurt, Evan and Kitty glared at Bobby and gave him a dirty look.

"What? I was just trying to lighten up the mood! Gosh! I think Mr. Military's attitude is rubbing off on you guys!" Bobby gulped and regretted saying the words as he looked at them.

"Bobby, this isn't funny. For all we know, he's like injured" Kitty frowned at Bobby and turned away.

Bobby gulped as they rode in silence for the rest of the trip.

 _ **10.30 AM (At the Infirmary)**_

"Hnnn..." Scott slowly opened his eyes until all he saw was red. He had a pounding headache. His body ached in every possible way. He saw the unfamiliar surroundings and panicked.

"Where am i?" he asked to himself and quickly registered he was at the infirmary. "What the..." He looked at himself covered in bandages and tubes sticking to his hands. He turned to his right and looked at a sleeping figure on the chair. It was Rogue. 'What's Rogue doing here?' He thought to himself.

Unable to get up from his bed, he let out a whine and winced at the pain. "Fuck." He lied down and closed his eyes trying to remember what happened.

The last thing he remembered was driving. Driving fast. And then he remembered crashing and the car turning on the side of the road. He managed to get himself in an accident. He regretted remembering it. He was upset and felt ashamed.

"I'm fucked" he said out loud to himself not noticing Hank entering the room.

"Language Mr. Summers. How do you feel today?" Hank asked.

Scott Looked up at him. "Like shit. How long have i been out?"

Hank frowned "A couple of hours. You were drinking and driving. Not to mention you were on drugs. Do you remember what happened?" Hank asked as he started checking on Scott.

Scott looked down, not wanting to see him or anyone. "Yes" It was all he could say.

"And?"

"And I'm sorry. I din't mean to...you know...get into an accident" He slumped his shoulders.

"I know. I'm afraid you'll have to stay in bed for two or three days. You've been hurt but there are no permanent damages. You're lucky. It was bad but we stabilized you."

"Mr McCoy. I'm sorry. I din't mean to upset anyone. How did they find me?"

"Charles will fill you in with the details. I'm afraid i have to go check up on your report and tell the others you're up." With that he left Scott.

Scott lied down and looked at Rogue. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep. She looked like anything but the goth he had known. He smiled inside. It pained him to know that she couldn't touch anyone. He tried making her open up to him and as she did, he had found a friend in Rogue. She wasn't like Jean.

His thoughts drifted to Jean. She was with Duncan. He had begun to avoid them. He had feelings for her and she was interested in a high school Jerk. She wanted popularity and chose to be with Duncan and other Cheerleaders. He frowned in disgust. She really had changed.

He focused himself back on Rogue. She was there for him and for that he was thankful. He felt a lot better when she was with him. She let him be himself. She understood him.

Rogue got up a few minutes after. She saw Scott. He was lying in his bed and watching her. "Scott! Are you alright? I was worried!"

Scott smiled weakly. He nodded and looked away from her. "You shouldn't worry. Don't you have school?"

"Yeah, but i couldn't leave ya like this. So the professor allowed me to miss a day." She looked up at Scott. He was avoiding looking at her.

"Thanks. But i'm fine. You look tired. You should go to bed"

"This is rich coming from the man who almost got himself killed" Rogue pointed out.

Scott chuckled. "One of us needs to stay in top shape."

"Did ya try and get yourself killed to avoid training the students?" Rogue pulled her tongue out.

"Maybe" Scott smirked and winked at her. He looked at her. "Rogue...I'm sorry. About what happened."

"Well, what happened?" Rogue asked curious to know what had happened.

"I..." Just as he was about to say something, Logan, Professor and Storm came in.


	5. Chapter 5

The door opened and Logan, Charles and Ororo entered.

"Scott! Thank God you're alright! You were almost killed! Don't ever do that again!" Ororo came rushing in, her voice quivered and she reached forward to hug Scott.

"I'm sorry Ororo. I dint mean to scare anyone." He winced as she hugged him.

"Ro. I think you're crushing the kid." Logan said as he placed a bottle of vodka, some joints , a lighter and the fake ID that he had found in Scott's car on his bedside table a little too loudly. He narrowed his eyes and said "I think these belong to ya! Mind explainin' where ya got the fake ID and drugs from?"

Scott looked at the items placed on the table and looked down.

Rogue looked at the half empty bottle, fake ID and the joints in shock. She hadn't expected this. All the professor told her was that he was drinking and driving. She hadn't expected the fake ID and the drugs. Out of all the students at the institute She could never imagine Scott taking drugs. Last time she checked, he was an uptight boy scout. Not the guy who was in the infirmary.

"I asked for an explanation kid" Logan said rudely.

This made him pissed. He looked up at Logan who was growling under his breath " Go fuck yourself Logan" he shot back glaring at him.

Logan growled and popped out his claws "If yer lookin for a fight, at least be in shape to do so" He glared at him. Scott dint fight back the glare and matched it.

Before Scott could retort, the professor interrupted. "Logan, would you please go find Hank?"

Logan looked at the professor and nodded. He popped his claws back in and went out grumbling.

Rogue sat there stunned. Did she just see what she saw? What was happening to Scott? She never heard him curse before. Especially not to someone like Wolverine. Hell, none of the students could even face wolverine without wincing in fear, let alone curse at him.

"Scott. That was uncalled for" professor told him disapprovingly.

"Oh it was called for. That guy had it coming a mile away." Scott shot back.

Scott grumbled incoherently. "Scott. Why did you leave the mansion after the curfew?"

"You know why I left the mansion." Scott looked at the professor with a poker straight face.

"Yes, but I'd like to hear from you" the professor stared at Scott.

"I left to get a drink. Since I'm not allowed to drink in my room."

"You were thoroughly intoxicated Scott. You dint just get 'A' drink. The alcohol levels in your blood and not to mention the drugs you took were extremely high. Its a good thing your mutant powers gave you a tolerance to it."

Scott grunted wordlessly. The professor shook his head.

"You were driving under influence. If we hadn't gotten you out of the car crash first, you could have been arrested and spent your time in jail yet again. And I would not be able to get you out of there unlike last time. You did not just risk your life, but you risked everyone else's. You could have crashed into another vehicle if the road hadn't been empty. You must understand in am not telling you these things to make you feel bad. I am just saying this so you understand that you have got to pick yourself up and start being responsible." Said Charles with an exasperated look.

Scott looked up at him in shock. "Responsible? That's what I have been doing all this while! I'm sick and tired of people expecting me to be the responsible one while they can be immature. I haven't even had a childhood. I have been responsible since I was 12. Y'know what? I quit."

The professor furrowed his eyebrows.

Scott got up and removed the tubes from his hands and got up and stumbled away towards the door.

"Scott. No!" Ororo shouted and went after him.

Rogue sat there. Stunned from what was happening. What she was hearing. Drugs? Jail? Again? Had this happened before?

As soon as she got up, the professor motioned her to sit and said Ororo would handle it.

"Scott. The professor just wants the best for you. He cares about you" Ororo spoke and put her arm around him.

"Does he want the best for me or for the X-Men?" Scott asked Ororo.

"Scott, that's not fair. This has been his lifelong dream. He thinks of you as his son. He only drives you hard because he trusts you. He believes in you."

"I'm so tired Ororo. I'm exhausted." He leaned and put his face on her shoulders. He started crying, his shoulders started shaking.

"I know Scott. And I understand you. But please don't leave us. I will talk to the professor and let him go easy on you. At least for a while until you feel better" Ororo said as she comforted him.

Scott looked up at her. Storm always knew how to comfort him. She was the closest thing he had to a mother.

They hugged and sat in silence for a while.

Hank came in and looked at Scott. "Don't think I'm letting you off the hook. Back to the infirmary."

Scott looked and nodded. He went back to the bed in the infirmary and sat there. The professor wasn't there.

"We have the tests. Everything is Normal. You'll need complete bed rest for around three days and then you're free to go" Hank commented as Scott wasn't paying attention to him.

Rogue looked at him. He was upset. His once cool and calm composure was replaced with sorrow and anger. His eyebrows were furrowed. He was clearly not in the mood for a talk.

"Rogue, could you give me a hand in the kitchen?" Ororo asked. Rogue looked up at Scott. His face was stone cold. He wasn't looking at her. She nodded Towards Ororo and went to help her out.


	6. Chapter 6

_**11.00 AM - At the kitchen**_

Ororo and Rogue entered the kitchen at the Mansion. It was almost noon and Rogue was worn out. She had a backache from sleeping in the chair at the Infirmary. Looking at the food Ororo was taking out of the refrigerator she was instantly hungry, realizing she hadn't had breakfast.

"Ororo, What is wrong with Scott? He doesn't seem like himself"

"You will have to ask him that yourself, Child. It's not my place to tell. I hope whatever information you just heard, you'd keep it to yourself for sometime."

"I won't tell a soul. Jeez. This mansion is like a gossip mill. It would be the last thing I would wan't to do.I like my Privacy and i respect everyone else's"

"I know that Rogue. The best thing Scott needs right now is a friendly ear and someone he identifies with. You two have that in common. Maybe you can help him out"

"I really want to help him. But he seems so...aloof" Rogue looked, unsure of what to say and do.

Ororo sighed "Well, maybe you'll break that cold exterior"

"Me?" Rogue looked down and blushed. "Um. No. He likes Jean."

"Jean and him haven't gone through similar things Rogue. You have. Who knows. Things could turn out well for both of you."

Rogue looked up from where she was sitting and nodded.

Ororo smiled at her and gave her a plate of scrambled eggs with toast. "Here you go. Eat up. You look tired. Why don't you sleep for sometime?'

The last thing Rogue wanted to do was to sleep, regardless of being tired and having a backache, she wanted to help Scott out. "Maybe later" she said, chewing through her food.

"Would you mind taking this to Scott after you have eaten? He hasn't had anything since last night. I have to go talk to the Professor" Ororo asked Rogue, pushing a tray of orange juice, eggs and toast in her direction.

Rogue simply nodded. She put her plate in the sink after having gulped down her food. She picked up the tray and headed up to the infirmary.

 _ **Meanwhile...(At the Infirmary)**_

Scott looked down as soon as Ororo and Rogue left. He din't want to hurt them or worry them. He was upset that he had crashed the car and injured himself. He never meant to cause harm to himself or the others and especially not his car. He groaned and put his face in his hands. He was afraid of what would happen now. Would he be kicked out for acting irresponsible? Would Rogue tell everyone what had happened? No. She wouldn't. She wasn't like that. Would he have to step down from being a leader of the X-Men? Was Jean mad? He snorted and shook his head for even thinking about that. Of course not! She was hardly there for him the whole year. She treated him like dirt. They had drifted apart. Somehow, not being with her din't upset him anymore as much as it should have. Somewhere along the way he had stopped caring. His thoughts went back to Rogue. Why did she stay in the infirmary all night for him? He felt something for her. He was the one who tried to get Rogue to join the X-Men. There was something about her. She was intellectual and more mature than the girls her age.

He dismissed the thoughts quickly as the door to the infirmary opened and saw Rogue with a tray of food. He looked at her with concern. She looked tired.

"Rogue!" He called out to her "I'm..uh...sorry about all this.." He started but Rogue cut him off.

"Listen Sugar, Just cause i'm bringin' ya a tray of food, don't get used to it." she looked at him with a cheeky smile on her face, showing she was just playing with him to lighten up the mood.

He lightened up after that remark. "I have been trying to find a way to get you to bring me food. Looks like my plan worked." He chuckled softly at her.

"Haha. You're SO funny Summers" She said sarcastically and rolled her eyes.

Scott looked at her and smiled and shook his head. "Just trying to do my job here." He looked at her and turned serious. "Rogue, I'm really sorry about what happened and for making things more difficult for you."

Rogue nodded. "Do you mind explaining all this?" she looked and pointed at the items on his bedside table.

Scott was ashamed. Unable to look at her. "I don't know. You'll probably hate me after I'm done explaining."

Rogue was thrown off by what he said. Hate him? Why would he say that? "Scott...I could never hate you. Even if you were taking drugs. I would try and understand. But hate? Never."

Scott looked at her amazed at what she just said. She brought out her hand and gently placed it on his. He looked at her gloved hands and felt reassured. He took her hands with his and looked at it for a moment. Neither of them spoke. The silence was comforting. He rubbed his thumb on her hand and looked up at her.

"Food's getting cold" She murmured with a low shaky voice.

Scott snapped out and let go off her hand. "Yeah" He ate the food in silence.

"Need anything else?" asked Rogue after he had finished his breakfast.

"No. Thank You. It was delicious. Did you make it?" Scott inquired with a slight smile on his lips.

"Uh. No. Ororo made it. I was just the delivery guy" Rogue smiled back. "Would you like to explain now? Or should i keep badgering?"

"Alright. But this will take a while" Scott moaned with exasperation.

"I have the whole day Sugar." Rogue looked up at him with determination. 

**_(MarvelMaster616 and tx peppa: Thank you for your reviews! I really appreciate it:) )_**


	7. Chapter 7

Scott looked at rogue with seriousness. "So…you know how when I was 12, my parents flew me and my little brother and….how…"He gasped and looked down. Even after all these years it was very difficult and emotional to talk about the death of his parents and his little brother. "…our plane caught on fire…and they didn't survive…." He exhaled and continued.

Rogue looked at him with concern. She held his hand and nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry Scott." She knew all too well what it was like to lose parents.

"Well, since I was the only survivor, I was orphaned. I was in a coma for a year. They told me I had brain damage. I couldn't control my mutation. I had to keep my eyes closed. Can you imagine anyone wanting a damaged blind kid? ..."

Rogue sat there and listened. All she wanted to do at that moment was embrace him and care for him.

He continued, "I was bullied by the kids at the orphanage for being…different. It hurt. I felt alone and just wanted to see my parents and my brother. One night when I was sleeping, I woke up and opened my eyes…and destroyed the roof of the orphanage. It was then I decided to run away from the orphanage. I ran and took to the streets."

Scott looked upset. He was trying his best to continue. "I…i was living in the streets when I was 15"

Rogue hadn't known that Scott lived on the streets. She gasped a little. A part of her wanted to know more about him and the other part of her was regretting asking the question.

"I had to forage for food. It was difficult. I was blind and whenever I did get something to eat, others would beat me up take away my food. One night I heard a man trying to hurt a girl. She was the same age as me. She was crying and trying to escape but his grip was too tight. He was too big. I warned him but he just punched me in the stomach. I was so god damn angry. A part of me lit up in rage. I got up and….next thing I know…I unleashed an optic blast on him."

"Serves him right! I would have done the same thing." Rogue muttered, really angry at the guy who tried to hurt him and the girl.

"I walked towards the girl and she told me she had nowhere to go. So I took her with me. She and I … we supported each other. We helped each other with things. One night, it was really cold and we didn't have any shelter. The girl… she called herself Rebel….So Rebel stole some food and a bottle of Whiskey from a bar nearby. She and I ate the food. We tried anything and everything to keep ourselves warm. She was something." Scott chuckled remembering her.

"I'm sorry you had to suffer so much Scott. What happened to her?" Rogue asked, curious.

"Well. First, I want you to stop apologizing every few minutes. Second, I don't want you to pity me or her. Third, I'll tell you all about her as I continue to tell you the rest of the story. Deal? " Scott asked, slightly uncomfortable at the way Rogue was looking at him as if he was helpless. He hated it when people pitied him.

"Deal." Rogue simply said and smiled.

"So,this is how it went later on..." Scott trailed remembering his past.

 _ **Flashback**_

 _Scott and Rebel were seated in an alley trying to make some fire as it was a cold night._

 _"Scott, are things going to get any better?" Asked Rebel_

 _"I don't know, Rebel. Sometimes i don't think they ever will. After losing my parents...i'm not sure things will ever be better. But, i really hope they do."_

 _Rebel sat there and listened to him. Tears glistened her eyes. "I'm so tired of running away... I just want it all to end. I want to die." She sobbed. She had been thinking about dying. She wanted to feel the pain envelop her and sear through her body. Thoughts of her stabbing herself in the middle of her chest popped up into her head once too often._

 _"Hey. If you die, i don't think i will survive a minute. I care for you. You're the reason why i'm still alive. I don't want to live either but...lets just survive for each other" He pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back. She was his best friend. His only friend. He couldn't imagine a life without her. He felt her pain. He closed his eyes and cried with her. They cried and held each other tightly as they fell asleep on the tattered rug on the cold floor of the alley. Even as they were asleep, they did not let go off each other. They were plagued with nightmares. Nightmares which kids should never have to experience._

 _They woke up early next day but stayed in each others arms for a while. Their faces looking tired from the lack of good sleep and proper nutrition._

 _They went without breakfast and lunch. Neither of them could get up because of exhaustion._

 _Night came and their stomach hurt because of hunger. They had nothing to eat or drink. They tried stealing and had managed to steal $20 from a woman who was walking by. This meant they could manage to eat for a while if thugs didn't take their money. They wen't to the store nearby and picked a loaf of bread and some fruit and handed the bill to the manager. Once they received the change, Scott put it in his pocket and they left the store._

 _They managed to eat the bread and the fruit and sat there, content that they had eaten some food._

 _Just then some of the thugs decided to show up. Scott heard them and hatred seeped into his body. Rebel glared at them. They tried to run away but the thugs blocked the other end of the alley._

 _The kids backed up a little as the men cornered them. They held each others hands, too afraid to let go._

 _One of the thugs grabbed Scott and the other grabbed Rebel. They pulled them apart. The kids were yelling out cries and pleading to let them go. They tried to fight but there were five grown men. The man who grabbed Scott shoved his hands in his pockets and found the money. They pushed him as he fell. The other man pushed Rebel up the wall and started groping her. She cried out and tried to fight him off. "DON'T TOUCH ME YOU BASTARD!" She was full of rage and tried kicking him and grabbing his arm._

 _Scott yelled, "LEAVE HER ALONE! PLEASE!"_

 _"Why? She your girlfriend?" Asked one of the thugs._

 _"What if she is. You got a problem with that?" Scott said, enraged. He never wanted to see her hurt._

 _The thug looked at Scott and came towards him to beat him up._

 _"Let her go or_ _i will kill you, you fucking piece of shit!" He removed his bandages. He looked below and opened his eyes to shoot an optic blast at the floor._

 _They were astonished at seeing that. The thugs backed off and disappeared._

 _Rebel ran over to Scott and bandaged his eyes again. They hugged and held each other. Neither of them spoke a word. They cried that night yet again._

 ** _End of Flashback_**


	8. Chapter 8

Rogue sat there and listened. She looked at Scott and could tell he was in pain. Where is she now? She wondered. She couldn't help but feel sad for both of them. She din't want to interrupt him so she just placed her hands on his as a reassurance and listened as he continued.

 _ **Flashback**_

 _Scott and Rebel hugged each other._

 _His thoughts shifted to the first time he met her. She looked at him when they first met and told him that she had nowhere to go. She was reserved, she was tougher than she seemed and boy could she curse like a sailor when anyone tried to mess with her. She wasn't much of a hugger. Always careful and wary of people. She had a lot of emotional baggage but then who doesn't when they live on the streets. She had not thanked him for saving her. She told him she could handle it herself. They both knew it was far from the truth. She dint like being helped or saved. She asked what he was. She wasn't afraid of his powers unlike the others. She was curious and asked if she could get them too! She reached out for his closed eyes and touched it with her hands. She came up with a plan. She would be his eyes and he would be her weapon if something bad happened. Although he didn't want to hurt anyone, he had seen far too much violence and reluctantly agreed to be by her side. Soon, they started spending time and got to know about each other. They shared their pain and developed a bond. They became inseparable. They had come a long way. They let their guards down with each other. She finally trusted him enough to hug him or hold hands. He trusted her around his powers. Although he initially resisted getting close to her, eventually they came to an understanding and slowly gained each other's trust._

 _"Rebel" He said as they woke up the next morning._

 _" What's wrong?" Rebel looked up at Scott, with worry etched in her face._

 _"Nothing. I... I love you." As he said those words she looked at him and narrowed her eyes in confusion._

 _"You what?" She laughed as she asked. She couldn't believe anyone loving her._

 _Scott heard her laugh and was taken aback. "I...uh..I'm sorry" He turned around and blushed in shame._

 _Rebel's expression softened. "I love you too" she said softly. They looked towards each other and smiled as they held each others hands._

 ** _End of Flashback_**

"You loved her?" Rogue asked Scott. Her heart sank a little but she was happy he could love someone after what he went through.

"Yeah. Nothing happened between us though. We were too busy trying to keep ourselves alive and we weren't ready for anything more at that time." Scott said and went on...

"When I went to get us something to eat with the $2 I had hidden in my shoe...I came back...and...she was gone..." He held back his tears. "...she left me. I waited for her...for days and she never came back. She was gone." He repeated. "A few days later the thugs showed up...I thought they kidnapped her and I...I hurt them with my powers. They didn't know anything about her disappearance."

 ** _Flashback_**

 _"WHERE IS SHE? I KNOW YOU TOOK HER!" Scott shouted at one of the thugs._

 _"What are you talking about kid? We just came for the money."_

 _"YOU TOOK HER. NOW YOU'LL PAY" Scott said as he unleashed an optic blast at the thugs._

 _The thugs were sent backwards and crashed into the wall. Everything went quiet._

 _Scott heard sirens nearing the alley. He quickly acted and tried to run but one of the cops showed up and asked him to Raise his hands._

 _Scott complied and the cop tied him up._

 _"Why have you closed your eyes? " he asked Scott._

 _"I...uh.. Have an eye condition"_

 _The cop eyes him suspiciously._

 _"You're under arrest. Now get in the car!."_

 _They pushed him in the car and drove him to the holding cell._

 ** _End of Flashback_**

Rogue sat there astonished. "She was gone? But why? They had no right to arrest you!"

"I don't know." Scott simply said and tried not to tear up. "I unleashed an optic blast on some thugs, the police thought I hurt them. Anyone would have thought the same in their shoes."

Just then, they heard a knock on the door. Ororo entered the infirmary. "I think it's time you two catch up on some rest. It's been a while. Besides, Hank wanted me to tell you that he will be conducting some more tests in a few minutes."

"Alright 'Ro. I guess we will have to continue this later.." Scott nodded towards Ororo and looked at Rogue

Rogue Nodded back. She got up and looked at Scott and said "Call me if you need anything." She walked away and closed the door to the Infirmary, with Ororo walking beside her.

Scott closed his eyes and thought about Rebel. He wondered where she was.

Hank came up to him. "How are you feeling, Scott?"

"I'm fine." Scott looked right at him and lied.

"Well, I'm going to conduct some tests now."

"Didn't you already do that? You said everything was alright"

"Yes, but there are other tests which i still have to do. Just to be completely sure you're alright."

"Okay. Can I leave after the tests?"

"Why? Where do you plan on going?"

"To my room"

"Sigh. Alright. But you'll need stay in bed for 2 more days"

Scott grunted and complied reluctantly.

After the tests, Scott thanked Hank for his help. He took the items on the table and staggered towards the door.

Hank shook his head and mumbled. "That boy will kill himself."

"You need to give me those things boy. You're not going anywhere with it. Certainly not in your condition. You're not allowed to drink and do drugs in the mansion"

"Oh dear. What will become of me?" Scott said sarcastically. He handed over the items and told Hank, "You do know that I can get them again from someplace else. Right?"

"Yes, but at least you won't be using it for two days while you are advised to rest."

"I don't use it all the time"

"I know. But right now, you're not in the proper frame of mind. So,i would advise against using. I'll call you when I get the test results."

With that Scott nodded and walked out.

 _Thank You all for the reviews. I hope you liked the story so far. :)_


	9. Chapter 9

Rogue had gone up to her room. She felt exhausted. She wanted to sleep but first she had to take a shower and relax her nerves.

She went up to the bathroom and turned on the shower and stood there with her eyes closed. Memories of Scott flashed in her mind from when she had absorbed him before. She hadn't touched him long enough to know about him living in the streets or drinking and doing drugs. The only clear memory she did remember was the plane crash he was in. She heaved and turned off the shower and wrapped a robe around her. She went up to her room and changed into something comfortable to sleep in. The moment she lied on her bed, made her realize how tired she really was. Soon enough, she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

 _ **Scott's Room**_

Scott dragged himself to his room and fell on his bed. "Ugh. I did **not** realize there were so many god damn steps in the mansion." He opened the pain killer bottle which Hank had given him and popped in two and gulped it down with a glass of water. He lied down and stared at the ceiling. He looked at a photo frame on his table. It was of him and Jean. Storm had taken it when she first arrived at the institute. He hadn't looked at the photo in a while. Lately, he just seemed uninterested in her. He did not like who she was going out with but he didn't want to go out with her either. At least not anymore.

 _"She's gonna have to get out of this one herself. Cause i'm done with her."_ He thought to himself. He got up and took the photo out of the frame and placed it in his desk drawer with the other photos of his friends. He tossed in the photo frame in the drawer as well.

He took off his clothes and changed into a pair of boxers. He din't bother putting on a t-shirt and went back to his bed and yawned. He felt a little drowsy and could notice the pain killers working on him. He lied down and closed his eyes and nodded off.

 _ **Rogue's Room**_

Rogue got up and looked at the alarm. It was 3.00 PM. She felt much better after having had a few hours of comfortable sleep. She changed into her usual clothes and headed out to the infirmary to check on Scott. As she went down the stairs, she could feel her stomach rumble. She decided to go to the kitchen and fix herself something to eat after she checked on Scott.

* * *

She reached the infirmary and found that the bed was empty.

Hank saw her come in and said, "He has gone up to his room. Stubborn boy, that one. Don't let him walk around. He needs to stay in bed for 2 more days."

"Oh. Alright. I'll go check on him and see if he needs anything." Rogue told Hank and left the infirmary.

She climbed up the stairs and headed towards Scott's room. She knocked the door but didn't get an answer. She slowly opened the door and found him sleeping in a pair of boxers. She stared at him for a minute. He had injuries and she could see a small tattoo near his chest. She couldn't make out what it was. She heard him shuffle and turned red. She was about to close the door when she heard him groan and open his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to check on ya." Rogue said, looking down at her feet.

"Uh..Rogue?" Scott said as he woke up. He was a little disoriented. He realized her face was redder than usual as he watched her from his ruby quartz glasses. "Is everything okay?." He looked at himself and realized he was only in a pair of boxers. He blushed furiously and covered himself with the sheets. "I...uh...sorry!"

"It's okay. Umm. Would you like something to eat?" She asked trying to not look at him directly. She thought to herself " _Oh god. I can't stop looking at him. Must. Avoid. Eye Contact. Look. Down."_

"Yeah. Sounds good. I'll be down in 10."

"Hank said you need to rest. So, why don't i bring up some food?"

"Uh..sure." Scott half-smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem" Rogue looked at Scott and smiled back as she left the room and closed the door behind her.

She leaned against the door and sighed. _"You've got it bad, girl_ " She thought to herself and walked towards the stairs.

Scott got up from his bed and put on a t-shirt. "Well, that was embarrassing." He muttered to himself.

Rogue went down to the kitchen while muttering underneath her breath. "Why does he have to look so good even when he's injured." She kept walking ahead quickly and almost banged into Ororo.

Rogue came back to her senses and looked at Ororo. She turned white. "Oh No. I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" She spoke, and started panicking.

"I'm fine Rogue. It's alright. Accidents happen" Ororo looked at Rogue and smiled.

"But i can't afford an accident. I could have killed ya 'Ro!" Rogue squeaked.

"No. Rouge. You wouldn't. Did you sleep okay?" Ororo asked trying to change the sensitive subject.

"Yes, I did. I was just going to get something to eat for me and Scott." She said, trying to avoid looking at her in the eye. Every time she thought of Scott she blushed furiously.

"Is everything alright between you and him?" Ororo asked, noticing the blush.

"Uh. Yeah." Rogue nodded and went to the counter.

"If there's anything you need to talk about, feel free to come to me." Ororo said and went away.

Rogue nodded absently and started making a sandwich.

After making grilled cheese sandwiches and a salad, she carried the tray of food to Scott's room.

She reached his room and let out a breath. She knocked on his door and heard him tell her to come in.

As she opened the door, she set the tray on his bedside table. He was standing beside his bed in a T-shirt and boxers.

"Thanks for the food Rogue. Wanna join me?" Scott asked.

"Of course. The food isn't just for ya. It's for me too." She said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Scott grinned and motioned her to sit on the bed. He sat opposite her as she kept the tray of food in the middle. He took out a plate and handed it to her and took one for himself. They took some salad and a sandwich and started eating in silence.

Scott decided to break the silence and said "Wow. Grilled cheese sandwich. Now this is food. You are amazing!"

Rogue blushed at the comment. "Thanks. Glad you liked it."

They ate in silence for the rest of the meal. It wasn't uncomfortable at all. It was peaceful for a change.

After their meal, Rogue decided to take the dishes downstairs. "Rogue. Stay here for a while." Scott said, looking in her eyes and reached out to stroke her face. Rogue jerked away and caught his fingers with her gloved hands. "Hey! You'll end up killing yourself if you do that!"

"I'm sorry. I don't know why i did that." Scott said, a little flustered.

"It's okay and i'll stay here for a while. So...do you want to continue where we left off?" She asked. Curious to know more.

"I..." Scott stalled for a minute. "Would you mind if i talk about it later?"

"Nah, i won't mind. But i won't be available from 6.00 PM to 7.30 PM."

"Why not?"

"I'm meeting the professor at that time. He and i have been working on controlling my powers for a while."

"Wow. That's great Rogue! I'm happy for you. Why didn't i know about this?"

"Well, no one really knows about this...not even kitty. I just...I don't want people to have any expectations in case i fail to control them."

"Have you had any success so far?"

"Kinda..But i haven't tried it on anyone yet. The professor told me i could control my power for a half minute."

Scott reached out to her and cupped her face.

"Scott! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Rogue jerked and tried to remove his hands from her face.

"Rogue..." He began.."It's working. You're not absorbing me!"

Rogue couldn't feel the life force sucking out of him. She sat there wide - eyed when the realization hit her that she could touch without killing another person. Rogue felt her eyes well up and jumped towards Scott and hugged him. "Wow. I'm not killing ya!"

"Ow." Scott winced in pain as Rogue had jumped on him. Rogue quickly let go off him "Oh my god, Scott! I'm so sorry!" She cried out in shock. She hadn't meant to hurt him. "It was worth it" He said and smiled at her. He held her and could see the tears flowing down her face. He wiped them off with his fingers and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Aren't you glad? You can touch." Rogue looked at him and nodded as she couldn't speak. Her mind was full of emotions. As he cupped her cheek, they felt a tingling sensation. They quickly drew apart. Scott looked at his watch and then at her and said "Rouge. We touched for one and a half minutes and i din't feel your touch drain me. I think you should tell the professor about your progress."

Rogue nodded. She still couldn't say anything. Wasn't he scared of her? Everyone at the mansion was. She decided to ask him. "Weren't you scared of me Scott? Of my Powers hurting you?"

"What? Why would i be scared of you or your powers? I know you won't hurt anyone on purpose. Can i come with you to the professor when you tell him the good news?"

"Don't you have some unwinding to do? Sugar, as long as i live, you're not moving from your room for 2 more days." Rogue said quickly.

"Ugh. I'm fine." Scott said sounding a little annoyed.

"No you aren't. Besides, everyone must be coming home from school. If i were you, i'd stay out of their way...unless you wan't a few more injuries."

"Tempting. But i think i'll just stay in bed."

Rogue smiled wickedly. "Now that's something I've never heard our fearless leader say. Are you scared of them?" She teased.

"Who in their right mind wouldn't be scared? I'd rather go fight magneto." Scott shuddered and smirked at her.

Rogue laughed and agreed. They stayed in silence for a few minutes. Scott wrapped his hand around her waist and made her sit next to him. She rested her head on his chest and they stayed in that moment for a while, knowing it would end soon enough when the kids would start pouring in the driveway.


	10. Chapter 10

After a while, Rogue got up and took the tray. "I guess i should be going. They'll be here any moment."

She proceeded to head towards the door when Scott stopped her.

"Rogue...thanks. For everything." Scott said and smiled at her.

Rogue smiled back and opened the door and was gone.

Scott locked the door and tried to go back to sleep. "Shit. Why is it so hot in here? Feels like a million degrees." He tossed and turned.

He removed his t-shirt and threw it on the chair and went to sleep.

* * *

Soon enough, the students residing at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters stormed in the driveway, thereby diffusing the peace of the institute.

"Kurt! You teleported us on the Roof! Like get us down you big fur ball!" Kitty said in an annoyed high-pitched tone.

"Hey! Lighten up Kitty. It's not my fault zat you latched on to me when i was teleporting. You surprised me." Kurt chimed in rather peeved at kitty's remark.

"Ugh. Like Whatever."

Kurt teleported them into the kitchen and kitty released him. She phased through him and reached the refrigerator.

"Excuse me! Could i have some privacy?" Kurt said as Kitty invaded his personal space.

"Uh. Sorry" Kitty said looking guilty. She got an apple and turned to Kurt and spoke, "Hey, shouldn't we like, check on Scott?"

Kurt silently nodded. He grabbed her hand and teleported them to the infirmary only to find the bed empty.

"Dr. Mc Coy, like where's Scott?" Kitty asked rather curiously.

"Ah. Good Evening Students. How was school? Scott's in his room. He's probably asleep, why don't you talk to him after dinner?" Hank spoke, glad to see that atleast some students weren't as stubborn as Scott.

"School was boring. So vat happened to Scott?" Kurt asked Hank.

"As Prof. Xavier mentioned, he was in a car accident. Now, why don't you ask him the details later?" Hank said, not wanting to divulge any information to the School's nosiest residents.

"Well, thanks Dr. Mc Coy, i guess we'll see him later." with that Kurt grabbed Kitty's hand and teleported outside Scott's room.

"I bet where they have teleported to. I made a judgement of error. They are stubborn. Kids..." Hank shook his head and mumbled under his breath.

Kitty phased through the door with Kurt and looked at a sleeping Scott.

"Oh. My. God. He's like practically sleeping in the nude!" Kitty whispered to Kurt.

"Let's get out of here before he wakes up!" Kurt whispered back.

After getting over her initial shock of seeing a rather well built almost naked Scott sleeping, she looked at the wounds and scars on his body and felt ashamed of barging in on him like that. "Oh no! Looks like got hurt pretty bad."

Kurt nodded sadly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry kit-kat. He's our fearless leader. He'll get better."

Kitty phased them out of Scott's room and pushed Kurt in his room. "Who do you think did that? How'd he get into an accident? Do you think the professor and others are hiding something from us?" Kitty asked hoping Kurt would have answers.

"I don't know Kitty. But if the Professor is hiding something, it's probably for our own good!"

Kitty slowly nodded. "Yeah. It's just hard seeing the most careful guy on this planet in that condition. Don't worry Kitty."

"Tell me about it. Guess we will have to wait until dinner to get some answers. I'm going to the kitchen. Bye" Kurt quickly teleported himself out and left kitty alone.

Kitty then left Kurt's room and went to her own room.

* * *

"Bye Duncan. Thanks for the ride!" Jean said as he dropped her at the Xavier Institute.

Duncan smirked and nodded and drove away.

"Hmm. I wonder why Scott didn't show up today. It's not like him to miss school." Jean thought out loud.

She opened the door and heard Wolverine project his thoughts rather loudly.

 _"Stupid kid. Could've gotten himself killed. Where does he get off talkin' to me like that. Stubborn asshole."_ He projected, too pissed off to the telepath near him.

 _"Everything okay, Logan? You were projecting your thoughts."_ Jean asked Logan telepathically.

Logan was rather surprised at the intrusion. He snarled at her. "If ya like where yer pretty head is kid...don't get inside mine." He threatened her and popped out a claw.

She was shocked at his outburst but decided to ignore it. After all, it was wolverine. It was expected of him to threaten at least one student a day.

She was curious more than ever now that she heard his thoughts. Was he talking about Scott? She decided to go up to Scott's room to check on him. She had an uneventful day. She caught Duncan making eyes with a new cheerleader and was ignoring Jean whenever the cheerleader flirted with him. She realized that when Scott was around her boyfriend, his thoughts only consisted of how to hurt him and how to not let Jean hang out with 'that geek.' Since his opposing force wasn't in school today, he felt less threatened and more inclined to flirt with others. Jean was angry at Duncan for thinking he could get away with this, but he knew just what girls like her wanted to hear.

She reached his room and found it was locked. With her telekinesis she managed to unlock it and peeked inside. She saw him sleeping in his boxers. He looked like a wrecking ball had smashed against him. Her eyes widened with shock and she clasped her mouth shut with her hands. She noticed his sleeping form and couldn't help but admire at the way his chest would rise and fall as he breathed.

"That's a good mental picture." She said to herself and smirked as she closed the door.

She went down the stairs to see the professor and ask what happened to Scott. 

* * *

"Dude! We are so screwed!" Evan said as he entered the mansion with Bobby.

"Tell me about it." Bobby groaned in exasperation.

"Let's NOT tell anyone about this."

"I agree."

"Let's not tel anyone about what?" Kurt asked as they entered the kitchen.

"Umm. Promise not to tell anyone?" Evan asked kurt.

"Yeah. What is it?"

"We failed the trignometry test." Bobby said and sat on the chair at the kitchen.

"What? I knew you guys didn't study for it!" Kurt said accusingly.

"Well, we were kinda busy." Evan said and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah. Checking out the girls at the mansion and trying to find dirt on everyone so you could blackmail them!" Kurt said and narrowed his eyes.

"Well, we are teenagers. Isn't that expected of us? I mean, we should be having fun. Not learning how to fail trignometry!" Bobby told Kurt.

Kurt sighed, "Vell, good luck you guys." and went back to eating his food.

"So did you check on Scott?" Evan asked the blue mutant.

"Yes. But he's asleep. So you guys will have to see him after dinner." Kurt spoke in a dismal voice.

"Is he alright?" Bobby inquired, noticing the troubled voice.

"Relatively. I don't know. He looks like he's in a pretty bad shape. But i guess he vill be fine." Kurt said.

"Where is he?" Evan asked.

"In his room. His door is locked." Kurt said blankly.

"Shucks! Guess we will have to see him after dinner." Bobby exclaimed and left the kitchen.

 _(Thanks for the reviews! Lol yes, a lot of people trying to sneak in a peek at Mr. Summers.)_


	11. Chapter 11

_Thank you all for the reviews! Really helps! :)_

 _DigiXBot996384 - I just wanted to show that he's just a teenager and has a lot of potential but is wasting it (like most people). Maybe scott will see Rebel, or maybe he won't. Can't tell what's gonna happen. Just going with the flow. Hope you liked the story so far. :P_

 _tx peppa - It's not that no one's seen him like that before, but i believe that everyone who does see him, can't stop drooling over him. Haha. Just my opinion. And your question about Bobby and Evan failing is about to be answered. :P_

 _TieDyeJackson - I miss evo too! I don't like Jean either but it's gonna be less about Jean in the future episodes hopefully (except maybe the bickering with Rogue or Scott Part). Thanks for the positive comment. I'm glad you're liking the story and hope you'll continue to enjoy it. :)_

* * *

Kitty had entered her room and saw Rogue listening to music.

"Rogue! What's up? You missed school today. Where have you been girl? You din't sleep here last night!" The brunette went on.

"Uh. Hey kitty. I know, i was at the infirmary with Scott. He was in an accident. So the professor told me that i could take the day off." Rogue said hoping Kitty wouldn't prod further.

"Yeah...But why were you like with Scott?" She asked, curious to know why Rogue was there but not as surprised since she knew of her crush on the leader.

"They needed help and as i was awake, i figured why not!" Rogue spoke nervously.

"Why didn't you wake us up? Do you know how it happened?" she asked her roommate.

"The professor told me not to disturb anyone. Besides, we had it under control. I..uh..I do not." She lied knowing that kitty was the resident gossip queen.

"Oh...alright." Kitty said. knowing Rogue was fibbing.

"Uh yeah... i gotta go see the professor. Bye." Rogue said and left the room in a hurry.

* * *

Jean entered the study and looked at the professor occupied with his thoughts.

"Professor, what happened to Scott? He didn't go to school today and i was wondering why, so i went to check up on him and he seemed in bad shape."

"Ah. Hello Jean. How was school today?" He smiled as he asked. He had a soft spot for her and looking at her being anxious made him worry. He furrowed his eyebrows as he continued, "Scott's been in an accident. He has to stay well rested for two more days."

"Accident? How did that happen? Will he be alright?" Jean asked in shock.

"He was driving and banged his car against a rock while he wasn't paying attention." The professor lied and continued, "He's fine. Just needs some rest." he assured her and turned his back on her and faced the window.

"Oh. Alright Professor." Jean said, not really caring much for asking more questions. She walked away from the study when she saw Rogue.

She didn't greet the young striped hair girl as she usually did when Scott was around. She always thought Rogue was a little strange, considering her choices in music and clothes. She also knew the girl had a little crush on Scott which she did not like. She avoided her and went towards the kitchen. She saw Rogue enter the Professor's study and decided to shield her mind and peek at what was going on.

"Hi Professor. I wanted to talk to you about mah powers, if you're not busy." Rogue said, hoping he'd be happy at the news she was going to share.

"Sure Rogue. Is it the fact that you can now touch for a minute and 30 seconds?" The professor mentioned knowingly. Being a telepath meant getting used to people projecting their thoughts around him and that was what he got from her, clear and loud. "You were projecting your thoughts rather loudly this afternoon when you were at the kitchen."

Rogue was startled and then her expression softened. "Well yeah...Scott and i...touched and nothing happened. I didn't drain him."

Jean who was standing outside the door and listening in to their conversation was shocked. This was news. But why did she and Scott touch each other?

"Well, it must be because you are exercising control. You have improved tremendously! Your powers have grown but your control is growing too. I'm proud of you Rouge." Xavier commented and smiled at the revelation.

Rogue smiled back. "Does this mean i will have full control over my powers?"

"Yes. But we will have to continue our sessions for you to gain full control. I'm impressed my dear." Charles said and continued. "How is Scott? I didn't get the chance to talk to him since the talk at the infirmary."

"He's doing better." Rogue said.

"Well, i must apologize for his behavior at the infirmary and i'm sorry you found out about his ... substance abuse." Xavier mentioned uncomfortably.

"Oh. It's alright professor. He has been telling me why it all happened. And from what i know, i think he's sorry he lashed out on you and Logan." Rogue said and half smiled. "Thanks professor. I'll see you at 6.00." With that Rogue went ahead towards the door.

Charles smiled and nodded and looked at his desk trying to find some papers.

Jean who was listening in to their conversation, was bewildered. She was so shaken up by what she just heard that she didn't realize Rogue was heading towards her.

Rogue opened the door and looked at Jean standing there with her side against the wall. She narrowed her gaze and spoke out loud. "Spying? That's not a nice thing to do since you're a role model. Don't ya have an image to keep up to, Miss popularity?"

"I wasn't spying!" Jean retorted back in anger at her accusation however true it was.

"Yeah right! You WERE spying and you know it!"

Professor Xavier heard the commotion and shook his head. He hadn't sensed Jean's presence which meant she was shielding herself. He wheeled out of the door and looked at the girls who were ready to get into a fight.

"Stop it now! Both of you!" He said out loud. "Jean, i am very disappointed in you. You will not speak of this matter to anyone. Do you understand?"

"You didn't tell me the real reason!" Jean said trying to defend her feeble excuse to spy on the conversation.

"Just because you live in here, doesn't give you an excuse to eves drop!" Xavier told her very agitated.

"Scott is my best friend. I have a right to know what happened to him!" Jean shouted out loud.

Ororo and some of the students had entered to see the commotion when Jean started to make a scene.

"Best friend? The way you treat him, its a surprise he doesn't tell you to shut the hell up and leave him alone!" Rogue snorted, angry at Jean for using Scott as an excuse.

"You slut. The moment I turn my back you try to steal him away from me!" Jean retorted.

"He was never yours to begin with. He's not a toy for you to use and throw him away when you're bored! You're the slut here. You lead Scott on and hang out with that baboon you call a 'boyfriend'." Rogue said, her eyes glowing red in anger.

"ENOUGH! Both of you!" Charles shouted at them. "Rogue, Jean, Ororo...please come inside. As for the rest of you, leave."

The students groaned as they had wanted to watch the fight and left reluctantly.

"Jean. You have no right to call anyone names and spy on anyone! What you did is despicable. If this happens again young lady, there will be consequences. I want you to apolio to Rogue." Xavier told her off in a serious tone.

"Hmph! I'm not apologizing to her." Jean said with her nose high in the air and walked away.

Xavier sighed and continued, "Rogue, I apologise for the way Jean acted."

"It's alright. It's not your fault that she's such a bitch." Rogue said angrily.

"Rogue! Don't resort to calling her names just because she did that to you!" Ororo said

"I'm sorry... That I didn't call her a bitch earlier." Rogue said seething in anger and walked away.

Ororo looked at Charles with concern in her eyes. "What do we do now Charles?" She asked hopefully.

" There's nothing we can do about it Ororo. We will have to let them handle this themselves. People are going to get hurt. I hope they will rise above it."

Ororo nodded silently.

"Would you bring Bobby and Evan in? Apparently they failed trigonometry and were trying to hide it from us." Charles said.

Ororo stood up frustrated and mumbled. "Those kids will be the death of me." And left the room to get the boys.

Ororo went to Evan's room and found Bobby there. They were discussing about how to get away with the failed test results.

She cleared her throat and they stopped talking and looked up. She looked pissed and that was not a good idea, considering she was storm. The winds started howling past the windows.

"Uh oh! Busted " Evan spoke timidly.

"Evan. Bobby. Meet the professor at his study. NOW!" She said and meant business.

The two boys gulped and nodded. They followed Ororo to the study as she opened the door.

"Good evening boys" the professor commented as they had entered the room. "I hear that you two failed trigonometry. Can you tell me why you failed the test?"

Bobby looked at the professor guiltily, "It was boring Professor. Besides, how is it going to help us?"

"Yeah. I don't see math helping us when we are fighting the bad guys." Evan spoke.

"Bobby, you are gifted in math. Surely, you don't want to see that potential go to waste? Math and trigonometry will help you both in and outside the field. You can ask Scott. For now, I'm going to let Scott tutor you both so your grades don't slip."

The boys groaned and Bobby spoke up, "Professor! Scott's no fun."

"This isn't about fun. Looks like you boys have been having too much fun. It's time to buck up." Storm said, glaring at the boys.

"But Auntie O'..."

"No buts. The professor and I both agree you two need to quit slacking. Now go up to your rooms. Your sessions begin in 3 days. Better brush up on the subject if you don't want more work." Ororo interjected.

The boys hunched their backs in defeat and left the room.


	12. Chapter 12

_He was asleep. It was dark in his room. He felt an intense pressure on his chest and opened his eyes and saw a devil like creature sitting on his chest. The eyes glowing bright red. The creature took out a dagger and made marks on him. He was in a lot of pain. He turned his head to find someone sleeping on another bed a few feet away from him. The creature caught hold of him and pierced his chest. He opened his mouth and tried calling out for help. Tried shouting. Anything. Nothing came out of his mouth. Not even a soft groan. He felt like he had lost his voice. He started panicking and tried to work his hands so he could get the creature off him, but his body was paralyzed. He couldn't move, couldn't speak or react. The creature bared his teeth and plunged into his neck trying to kill him. He tried to cry for help but couldn't do anything. Soon the scene shifted and he was lying on the sofa when he saw his father sitting on a chair. His father reached up to switch on the lights as it was nearing dusk. A bolt of electricity passed through his dad's body as he collapsed on the floor. He saw his dad die but couldn't move. The creature came behind him and mocked at him. He turned his head and saw the creature devouring his friend Rebel. He couldn't take this any more. He couldn't breathe._

Scott was in his bed sleeping when beads of sweat trickled down his body. He came out of his nightmare and was mentally aware he was still in his room. He felt couldn't react or move just like in his dream. His heart rate was beating faster. He felt the pressure on his chest. His eyes opened as he woke up and found he couldn't move a muscle or cry for help. He felt like he would never wake up and move. It felt so real. It took a moment for his hallucinations to stop. He slowly stopped thinking about the nightmare and wiggled his toes and then his fingers, he kept going that until he was fully awake. He moved his hands and feet and let out a deep sigh. He started shaking and placed his face on his hands. He did not want to close his eyes and go back to sleep. He was scared. He looked at the clock and grunted. _"6.00 PM... Just my luck"_ he thought to himself. He got up and paced his room. The feeling of fear and dread seeped into his bones as he was still shaking. He tried convincing himself in his head _"It was just a stupid dream. Just a nightmare. Everything's fine."_

He sighed when he knew he had to get out of his room. He couldn't stay there for a second longer. He was panicking. He put on his T-shirt and his sweats and opened the door slightly. He peeped outside and saw no one in the hallway. He walked quickly and entered the common bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He quickly got out and proceeded to make his way back to his room. "Sleep paralysis. I thought that stopped a while ago" Scott said to himself and moaned.

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

"Hi Professor!" Rogue said as she entered the study, ready for her session with the telepath. She quickly noticed the the Professor in a disturbed state and rushed over to him as she spoke out loud. "Professor! Professor, Is everything okay?" She asked with concern.

The Professor got out of his trance and jerked his head. Sweat trickled down from his bald forehead. "Rogue...I'm afraid the session must wait. Could you go talk to Scott and bring him down to me?"

"Is everything alright Professor? Is Scott fine?" Rogue asked.

"He had a bad nightmare and probably wants some comfort. He has had sleep paralysis and it would be best if you go see him. I'm afraid he is having a panic attack. He was projecting his nightmare." Xavier said in all seriousness. A chill ran down his spine after visualizing Scott's nightmare.

Rogue didn't respond as she was already on her way to Scott's room.

She reached the hallway and quickly knocked on Scott's door. When she didn't hear him respond, she quickly opened the door to find the bedroom empty. She went inside and saw the doors to the balcony open. She went outside and saw him sitting on the floor. He was breathing out loud and his body was shivering. "Fuck. This isn't happening again. No fucking way. Not after all this while." He kept cursing under his breath. He hadn't noticed the goth bend next to him as she placed a hand on his shoulder. He jerked away and opened his eyes to realize it was just Rogue. He breathed out a sigh of relief as he looked at her. "Rogue..." he said as she sat next to him on the floor. Soon, he heaved as his chest and his head fell on her for comfort and support. He closed his eyes and rested his head against her shoulder as his grip tightened around her arms, slowing reaching her back he crossed both his arms so she couldn't get away. She pulled in him and let one hand envelop his back and the other caress his neck and his hair. She could feel his heart beating faster and could smell the fear in him. They stayed in that position for a while, knowing he wanted contact. For a while nothing else mattered to him except the girl who was comforting him and stroking his hair. He eased in gradually and stayed there with his face buried in her shoulder. After a while he calmed down and looked up at her. "Thanks" he said and continued to hug her before she could respond.

A few minutes later, he adjusted himself and got up from the floor. He lent out a hand to her as she took it and pulled her up. He hugged her again and pushed her against the wall, with his hands on her narrow waist. As he pushed his body towards her, he felt her knees go weak. _"What is happening?"_ She thought to herself before giving in to the feeling. He moaned as he felt her hands snake up to his neck, her fingers digging into the back of his hair. He took off a hand from her waist and grazed her cheek. They felt the spark between them full of desire and love. "Oh Scott..." She moaned in delight when his hands trailed towards her neck. He placed his forehead on hers and brushed his lips against hers. As they started to feel her powers work she quickly backed her head and tried to push him away but he didn't budge. He held her and placed a kiss on the side of her forehead where it was covered by her platinum white hair. He held her and pressed his body harder against hers as she tightened the grip on his back, grabbing his T-shirt and digging her gloved hands into it. "You are an angel, Kate" He murmured in her ears. She felt herself heat up at the way his warm breath felt across her ears and neck. She was about to wrap her legs around his waist when she was dragged back into reality. _"Oh shit. He's hurt. I can't do that."_ She said to herself. Her eyes lifted from the gaze and she smiled weakly at Scott.

They heard a sound and realized Kurt had teleported with Kitty, Bobby and Evan into the young man's room. They pulled apart quickly before being noticed and looked at the young mutants in surprise.

 _(Thank You for the reviews! Hope you liked this chapter. :))_


	13. Chapter 13

Bamf. "Oh man! Why do i keep teleporting in the wrong place?" Kurt said as he had teleported in Scott's balcony with Kitty, Bobby and Evan. They saw Scott and Rogue standing there surprised.

"Scott! Good to see you mein freund. Are you alright? Rogue what are you doing here?" Kurt said as he watched Scott raise his eyebrows.

"Err. Yeah, I'm alright. The Professor sent her up to check on me. What's going on?" Scott asked perplexed before Rogue could answer.

"One of the X-Kids saw you come out of your room and they said you looked as white as a ghost. They were kinda freaked out and came to us so we decided to check up on you." Bobby said.

"Man, what hit you?" Evan asked half jokingly.

"I was in an accident." Scott said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Duh. We so know that! How'd you like get in an accident? Are you okay?" Kitty asked finally not being able to hold in her curiosity.

Scott looked at the petite brunette straight in her eyes. "I'm better Kitty. I was a little distracted by something and kinda crashed into a pole." He lied knowingly.

"What were you distracted by dude? Girls?" Evan asked disbelievingly, slightly teasing him, which earned him a glare from Rogue.

"I wish it was a girl. At least then the injuries would have been worth it." Scott continued.

The others stared in disbelief at Scott as he said that.

"Whoa! I'm glad whatever hit you, gave you a sense of humor." Evan said as he laughed at Scott's reply. That earned him a glare from everyone present and a slap on his head from Kitty.

Kitty had felt things were a little awkward between all of them when they teleported into Scott's room. She quickly decided to change the subject. "Oh my god. And you thought i'd crash when i drive!" Kitty continued. Scott looked at her as if she was crazy but slowly conceded.

"Hey, get off his back. Accidents happen!" Rouge defended Scott before he could speak as the others grunted in defiance.

"So where's your car man?" Evan asked Scott. "It's at the mechanic's. There are some repairs which needed to be done and since Logan and I were busy, we thought we'd just let them handle it." He replied with a poker straight face. He didn't want the kids to know that his car was totaled as it would raise more suspicion.

"When are you coming back to School mein freund? Kitty and I kinda visited you after School while you were sleeping and we saw some bad cuts and wounds." Kurt said as he confessed to seeing Scott in a compromised state.

Scott glared at the young mutants with animosity as he listened to their new revelation. "What? I had my doors locked! Don't you guys understand privacy?" He asked obviously pissed at them.

"Easy there, Scott! We were like just worried and decided to check up on you. No one was telling us anything and we didn't want to wait to see our friend. We care about you Scott. We would like never invade your privacy like ." Kitty interjected trying to ease the situation.

Scott's face softened after hearing kitty's sincere apology. He nodded and accepted the apology as he spoke. "I'm sorry too. It's just...Knock before you enter next time...okay? And Kurt? Don't teleport into my room." Scott added and left the balcony not answering Kurt's previous question, to go towards his bed.

"Aye aye captain. Bobby and Evan have something they need to talk to you about." Kurt nodded as he and the others went inside. He grabbed Kitty and left the room.

"What is it?" Scott asked quickly looking at Bobby and Evan.

"Uhh... You see man...life is full of complications..." Evan began hesitantly trying to stall.

"Cut the crap Daniels. Now tell me what you want." Scott interjected having been in no mood to listen to kids.

Bobby, Evan and Rogue stared at Scott as he cursed. The two boys had never seen their fearless leader curse. Rogue on the other hand was a little surprised to see Scott lose his boy scout personality which he so often displayed in front of others.

"Bobby and i failed trigonometry and the prof and auntie O' want you to tutor us!" Evan spoke fast and blurted out as he felt a little intimidated by Scott.

"You're shitting me. Bobby. You are good at math. If you only apply yourself instead of getting distracted by staring at asses..." Scott trailed frustrated and realized he was not speaking like he should have. "...I have to go." He quickly added and went out to the bathroom.

Bobby, Evan and Rouge simply stared not knowing what to do.

"Uh... Ya better leave." Rogue said to the two boys. They simply nodded and returned to the shocked daze they were in as they left the room looking like a couple of zombies. As they snapped out of it Bobby pushed Evan to the wall. "Dude, do you think that accident damaged Scott's head?" Bobby asked hoping he'd have an answer. "I guess. I mean, have you ever seen the guy go from boy scout to whatever the hell that was?" Evan said totally perplexed at what was happening."Let's investigate." Bobby said as the two boys hurried to their room.

"Oh hell no. I did not just say that in front of them. I shouldn't have taken two painkillers. Not to mention I almost kissed Rogue. What am I doing?" Scott groaned and splashed water on his face. He shook his head and went back to his room and saw the boys were gone. He saw Rogue looking at him. She gave him an amused smile as she spoke. "Who knew the boy scout isn't really a boy scout."

"Ugh. I hate that word." Scott said making a face. "I guess we need to talk..." He continued.

"Before we do that, the professor is calling ya. He did send me up to see if you were okay and to bring ya down to him...he said ya were projecting your nightmare ..."

"Thanks Rogue. I'm sorry you didn't get to have your session with the professor." He said looking at her. He could look at her all day.

"By the way, nice save back there. Didnt know you were such a good liar." Rogue said trying to lighten up the mood.

"You have to learn how to lie if you live at the streets or worse...here." He added jovially.

"Well, I sure as hell would be interested in learning that art Summers. Maybe we can have...private sessions..." Rogue said, clearly flirting.

Scott raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Oh I was thinking about teaching you much more than lying." He flirted back.

She blushed furiously at what he just said. She couldn't believe that the guy she had a crush on was flirting with her and had almost kissed her. "Umm.. We should go.." Rogue said not looking at him.

Scott chuckled softly at the way she blushed. "Lead the way." He said as he followed her.

They reached the Professor's study as he turned to face the two youngsters.

"Ah..Good evening Scott. How are you doing son?" Charles asked the young mutant with concern etching his worried face.

"I'm alright Professor. Rogue helped me get over the Panic Attack." Scott simply stated knowing he couldn't lie to the telepath.

The professor nodded in appreciation towards Rogue. "Rogue, would you please give us a few minutes? I'd like to speak to Scott alone."

"She can stay Professor. She knows." Scott said as he grabbed Rogue's hand, keeping her from leaving.

"Very well then." The professor said and continued, "Scott, you haven't had nightmares and Panic attacks for a while now. Are you sure you're okay? I know things are difficult for you my boy but if there's anything I can do for you..." The telepath stopped as he waited to catch his breath.

Scott looked at the professor, he did show true concern for him. He was the closest thing he had to a father. "I'm fine. It's just that I miss my family...Even though I did get Alex back, its not the same...and I miss Rebel. I appreciate your concern but you don't have to worry. I'll be okay. And thanks...for being there for me."

"I'm sorry you have had to go through a lot, if there is anything you need, remember that we are always there for you." The professor said and continued. "Now about your car...it has been very badly damaged. It will take a few weeks to get it back in working condition. I expect you'll do it yourself. I made Logan shift it to the other garage which isn't used by anyone. Be careful my boy. Until then, I'm afraid you will have to use your bike to go to school. Or probably the bus." He said.

" Thanks professor. I'll see to repairing my car once I get discharged from Hank. And I'll take the bus if it makes you feel better."

"No, I trust you Scott. And I know the accident won't happen again. Feel free to use the motorcycle." Xavier said as he thought it would be better to let the boy feel that he trusted him. " you can leave. I have some other mattes to attend to. Rogue, I apologise we couldn't continue our session today. We shall continue this tomorrow. Rest well Scott." He said as he left the room.

"Thanks Professor." Scott said as Rogue nodded towards the professor.

As they left the study, Rogue turned to Scott and looked at him. "Thanks for trusting me enough to let me in on your conversation."

Scott smiled as he spoke, "Ditto and thanks for being there for me."

She smiled softly and looked at his glasses which hid his eyes. "I'll always be there for you Scott. That's what friends are for. Now let's get you back to bed or the doc would probably drag ya to the infirmary and I won't get to hear the end of it" she rolled her eyes as she spoke to him in a sassy southern drawl.

"Mmm...thanks to his pain killers i don't feel a thing." He looked at her with lust. He couldn't help but look at the way she made a pout. Those lips. They could melt him and made him think of things he normally wouldn't. Maybe it was just the pills but it made him crazy and made his hormones rise to extremely risky levels.

"I still can't believe ya are the actual Scott Summers." She said playfully.

He went towards her and stood inches away from her face as he whispered in her ears, "Want me to show you who i really am?" He asked huskily.

Rogue widened her eyes as she heard his words. She shivered in delight and regained her composure. "I... as much as i would like that, Ororo wanted me to help with dinner." she said begrudgingly.

"Well, she'll just have to wait." Scott said as he lifted her up and pushed her against the door of the study. He looked at her and cupped her face as he bent down towards her. His fingertips pressed lightly against her back sending shock waves over her flesh. She looked at him and arched her back at the contact as she closed her eyes and parted her lips. He felt her shallow breathing on his lips. That sensation sent him in a frenzy. Their lips met as they kissed passionately. Their hearts were beating rapidly as he pushed his tongue in her mouth. She responded by moaning and grabbed his hair. Soon they felt the pull of her powers and she quickly pushed him away. They breathed raggedly and looked at each other. They quickly scanned the area around them to see if there was anyone who might have seen what had just happened.

He looked at her and this time she jumped towards him and wrapped her legs around him. She kissed him as he grabbed her hips and kissed her back. Their tongues wrestled as they moaned in pleasure.

Unbeknownst to them, Hank and Wolverine had reached the area outside the study and saw the whole thing. They looked in surprise and shock. "I shouldn't have given him those relaxing pain killers." Hank moaned and shook his head. Wolverine on the other hand had his mouth hanging open unable to comprehend how this had happened. Wasn't Cyke in love with Jean? Wasn't Rogue's skin deadly to touch? The two men looked at the young students as they pulled apart and as Scott let go off Rogue.

"What the hell is goin on here." Wolverine spat out bewildered. Scott and Rogue looked up in shock and saw the two adults stand there with surprised looks on their faces.

"We were just leaving." Rogue said and grabbed Scott's hand as she was in no mood to listen to anyone lecture them.

Wolverine held in his temper and shook his head as he spoke. "Something tells me this will blow up badly. I'm gonna have a nice long talk with those two...soon!"

"It's a good thing you didn't stop them. Or this would have ended up badly before it even began. Let them be Logan. They like each other. We will just have to...tell them to be careful. I'm going to talk to the professor about Rogue's abilities." Hank said and left. Logan grumbled and went along with Hank to find what was going on.


	14. Chapter 14

_Thank You Everyone for the reviews! Hope you like the story so far. Ideas, constructive criticism and positive comments are all welcome!_

Tx Peppa - Yeah. Sorry about the short chapters. Hopefully, the future chapters will be longer.

TieDyeJackson - Thanks! Glad you're liking it.

Weeeee - You'll get more info in the following chapters. :P I won't let this story go unfinished. I hate it when that happens!

* * *

"So...um I will bring your dinner up." Rogue said to Scott and hurried away to the kitchen to help Ororo with the dinner.

Scott nodded as he climbed up the stairs.

Rumors had been circulating over Scott's accident and Rogue and Jean's fight outside Professor's study. Although Scott was unaware of their fight, nobody wanted to tell him about it.

He reached his room and opened the door to find Jean sitting on his bed. "Uh..Jean! What are you doing here." he asked with a slight disappointment.

"I see you aren't happy to see me Scott Summers. For your information I just wanted to check on you, but have it your way." She spoke icily and got up from his bed.

Scott snapped at her attitude. He proceeded towards the desk as he scoffed at her. "Door's that way. You can show yourself out."

Jean was shocked at his comeback. "By the way, I know something is going on between you and goth girl." She spat back accusingly.

"Fuck off Jean. You can walk yourself out that door, before i do something you'll regret. " He said with his eyes glowing in anger.

Jean felt anger boiling in her. "You know she's a slut. She's nothing like me."

"I agree she isn't like you. There's a chasm of difference between her and you. And you know what that is? She doesn't use me like you do. She isn't blinded by popularity. You're just jealous that you aren't getting anywhere with your shitty excuse of a boyfriend anymore."

"Say one more word about Duncan and I will push you through the damn wall." Jean said seething in anger.

He laughed, shaking his head. "Speaking of walls, how does it feel like having them close in on you." He said in a low, threatening voice and stared at her in anger.

Jean couldn't think of a reply and left his room. She banged the door loudly and skulked back to her room.

Kitty opened the door to her room as she heard the sound. She saw Jean walk in anger. "Umm. Everything okay Jean?" Kitty asked the red haired girl, knowing it had to do something with Scott and Rogue.

Jean didn't respond and went to her room and shut the door loudly behind her.

Scott groaned in frustration. He was finally back in his senses. The pain killers were wearing off and his body started hurting again. _'I can't do this to Rogue. I can't pull her into my life. I am too messed up to be in a relationship. She deserves better.'_ He thought in his mind. He didn't want to hurt her. She was an amazing person. She was beautiful, daring and thoughtful. If he would drag her in his life romantically, she might get hurt. And that was the last thing he wanted to do. He hoped they could go back to being friends.

Kitty went to Scott's room to find out if he knew anything. She met Tabitha, Jubilee and Amara on her way. "Where ya going girl? Tabitha asked kitty.

" I'm just going to Scott's room to check on him." Kitty said as she walked past the girls.

"Whoa. So it is true! Wait up, we are coming with you to see scooter!" Tabitha said as they walked with kitty to Scott's room.

Kitty knocked on his door and opened it as she heard him tell her to come in. "Hey Scott" kitty greeted him and saw that he was sitting in front of his laptop on his bed.

"Hi... what's up?" Scott said sounding a little depressed.

"We just wanted to know if you knew something about Ms. Cheerleader being in a bad mood." Tabitha joined in. "By the way, how are you doin?"

"I'm fine. Yeah but i'd rather not discuss it." He replied.

"Is everything like alright between you two?" Kitty asked with concern as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"No. Don't you have something else to do besides gossip about people?" Scott spoke in annoyance.

"Whoa! I'm so glad I came here." Tabitha remarked sarcastically.

"Tabitha! Be serious. Rogue and Jean had a fight." Amara told Scott.

"What fight?" Scott asked curiously. "When did it happen?"

"Uhh... I don't know the exact details but it had something to do with your accident. Apparently Jean called Rogue names and Rogue retorted back and the professor had to stop it." Amara continued "Happened while you were asleep, I guess."

"I'll talk to Rogue and see if she's alright." Scott said frustrated that Rogue dint tell him about the fight.

"Uhh. What about Jean?" Kitty asked.

He was tired of how everyone perceived him as a boy scout. He had enough of it and couldn't tolerate it any longer. He was tired of people thinking that he and Jean belonged together. In fact, he was way different than Jean.

"You know what? I don't care." Scott said with a poker straight face and pursed his lips.

The girls eyes popped out at the nonchalant way Scott had just spoken about Jean.

"Scooter's not whipped after all." Tabitha said with a devious smile on her face.

Scott scoffed at her remark. "I don't get whipped. I do the whipping. Now if you could please leave, I have work to do."

The girls were shocked at what he just said. Tabitha laughed as she said "Now that's the Scooter I wouldn't mind getting whipped from!" She flirted shamelessly and winked.

"Out. Now." Scott told them. He wasn't being rude but he wasn't interested in being Tabitha's boy toy either.

"Yes Sir" Tabitha spoke and saluted. Amara and kitty rolled their eyes and the three girls left his room. As they shut the door, they ran to kitty's room.

 _'Great. That should give them enough time to think about the whole boy scout image.'_ He thought to himself. If only they knew what it was like for him when he was a kid.

"Did Scott just say that or am I hallucinating?" Amara asked and giggled.

"That accident sure made him interesting!" Tabitha chimed in and smiled naughtily. "Boyscout has it in him after all."

"Like yeah, I have never seen him like that before!" Kitty said in a dazed state.

The three girls looked at each other and giggled. "Wait till the others hear this!" Tabitha spoke. The girls groaned at her remark.

Rogue entered the room she shared with Kitty and spoke, "lets NOT do that." She said menacingly.

"What? No way girl! This is too juicy!" Tabitha spoke "By the way, what was the fight with Jean about?"

"Stop gossiping you three." Rogue glared at them as she went to get her clothes so she could take a shower.

"Rogue, we aren't like gossiping! Besides Scott and Jean had a fight, you have an opportunity girl. Make your move!" Kitty said excitedly

Rogue glared at kitty but Tabitha spoke up. "You have a crush on boy scout? Since when? Better make your move before I do. "

"I don't have a crush on him! " Rogue lied as she turned red. "And since when were you interested in Scott?" She asked a little jealous.

"Since he fought with Jean!" Kitty mentioned.

"You guys have fun gossiping like six year old girls. I'm outta here." Rogue said annoyed, as she left to take a shower.

* * *

Rogue had finished taking a shower. She felt fresh and proceeded to go to the kitchen to have dinner. All the students were present there. Dinner was loud and noisy as usual with the talking and chewing of food and running into each other. Meal times at Xavier's had always been chaotic because of a good number of mouths to feed. She grabbed two plates, one for her and one for Scott. Logan and Hank were seated at the adult's table along with the rest of the senior X-Men. She avoided looking at them directly due to the fact of having been caught kissing Scott outside the Professor's study. As she filed the plates with food, Logan eyed her suspiciously. She looked at him straight in the eyes. Apart from Scott and the adults, she was the only one who wasn't scared of him. "Stripes, Why aren't ya staying for dinner?" Logan asked narrowing his eyes at the second plate.

"Just keeping Scott company." She stated without flinching.

Logan growled softly and muttered something under his breath which earned a glare from Ororo.

Jean was busy glaring daggers at Rogue while the rest of the students at the table sat in an uncomfortable silence. Rogue avoided her glares and decided not to say anything as it would only cause more problems.

"Slim can get that food himself." Logan uttered finally breaking the silence.

Rogue scoffed and shook her head. "Doctors orders." She simply said and turned.

"He sure din't have any trouble lif...ow!" the man said not being able to complete the sentence and he turned towards Ororo as she jabbed him on his ribs with her elbows.

"Rogue, child..let me know if you and Scott need anything." Ororo told Rogue and continued eating dinner.

"Thanks 'Ro." Rouge smiled at her and went upstairs.

* * *

Rogue knocked on Scott's door as he motioned her to come in.

"Thanks for the food." Scott took the plates and placed them on the table. "I...Uh...We need to talk.." He saw the disappointment and hurt in her face when he uttered those words. It crushed him inside seeing her upset, but this had to be done. He didn't want to cause her any further pain.

"Don't say it Scott." She said softly, tears glistening her eyes.

"I'm sorry but this shouldn't have happened between us. It wasn't a good idea." Scott said, unable to look at her.

"Right. Why did ya kiss me then!" She cried out.

"I..uh..I wasn't thinking. I just...Rogue, you're amazing. You deserve someone better than me. Someone normal." He blurted out.

"If i told ya, i don't want someone normal, i just want you. What would you do?" She asked him knowingly.

"Rogue... I can't do this..." He looked away from her. He wanted to shout out to her that he loved her, he wanted to hold her in his arms and tell her everything was gonna be okay, but this wasn't gonna happen. "I'm sorry but i can't be with you." He felt his heart was being torn apart. He resisted reaching out to her and wiping those tears away from her face. He resisted pulling her to him and hugging her.

Tears flowed freely from her eyes and cascaded her cheeks and lips. "I don't get it. Why can't ya be with me? Is it because i can't touch longer than a minute?" She asked. She felt like he just blasted her heart with his powers.

"No. I can't be with you Rouge... I hope we can be friends." He said choking on his words.

Rogue looked at him as she was crying. Without saying a word, she simply left his room. She went to the room she shared with kitty. As she entered the room, she closed the door behind her and started sobbing uncontrollably.

Scott was in his room. _'I had to do that. I had to.'_ He said trying to convince himself. He started crying but his powers wouldn't let his tears flow down.


	15. Chapter 15

Scott was lying on his bed with his eyes shut tightly. On the table, the plates of uneaten food had gone cold. He left it as it was. He didn't like seeing food go to waste but he also didn't have the energy to stomach it. His body contorted in pain as he had not taken the painkillers in a while. He needed the pain. All he felt was emptiness inside. He needed the feeling of his body being set on fire to distract his bleeding heart.

Ororo and the others had almost finished having dinner. She went upstairs to check if they needed anything. As she climbed up, she opened Scott's room silently. She saw him lying on his bed. She saw the uneaten plates of food. "Scott, is everything alright? Where's Rogue?" Storm asked as she scanned the room.

"Rogue's in her room ' Scott whispered under his breath. His voice was shallow and broken.

"What happened? Why haven't you two touched your dinner?" The white haired goddess asked with concern. Her heart sank, knowing something wasn't right.

"She needs someone. Go to her." Scott croaked and turned his head the other way.

His response made her anxious but she knew she wasn't going to get anything out of him. He was a closed book. She grabbed one of the plates and left his room. As she walked towards Rogue's room, she heard the other students come up after having had their dinner.

She opened the door to the room and saw Rogue seated near the window. She was looking out the window crying silently and sniffling.

"Rogue, what's wrong?" Ororo asked as she put her hand on the young girls shoulder for reassurance and support.

"Go away!" Rogue said in a hurt tone, her silent tears changing to sobs.

"Rogue, what happened between you and Scott?" Ororo asked curiously.

Just then, kitty entered the room she shared with Rogue and saw the girl crying. "Rogue! Why are you crying? Is everything alright?' She asked with concern.

"Kitty, could you please take this plate to the kitchen?" Ororo motioned her to leave.

"Uh..sure. I'll be right back!" She said as she got the hint and left the room.

"He...he hurt me. We kissed...and...and he told me he couldn't be with me!" Rogue said in-between her sobs.

"Did he tell you why?" Ororo asked worried.

Rogue simply shook her head. And then told her what he said to her.

Ororo agreed with her that Scott hadn't given her a valid reason. But she also knew Scott. He pushed people away as soon as they got close to him. Even after living with him all these years, he was still not open to anyone. He was either aloof or brooding. He was by far the most difficult person to read she had ever come across. Ororo hugged the young girl and simply comforted her.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile**_

"I can't be here. I need some fresh air." Scott said as he abruptly got up from the bed. He put on a pair of dark jeans, a grey t-shirt and a black hoodie. He put on his shoes. He knew he couldn't use the front door, so he had to improvise. He also left a note which said "Will be back later." on his bed. As he opened his balcony and stepped out, he shut it and climbed down the wall. He grunted in pain as he was climbing down. Putting on his mental shields so the resident telepaths wouldn't notice was one thing, climbing down a wall when he was injured was something he wished he had thought of twice. He reached the floor and walked away from the mansion silently. He kept walking as he reached the lake. He sat beside the lake and breathed in the crisp night air.

At Rogue's Room

"He'll get around " Ororo said as she patted Rogue's back. "I'll go talk to him. Be strong Rogue."

Rogue nodded as Ororo left Rogue's room.

She went towards Scott's room. As she opened the door, she found the room empty. She saw the note and panicked a little. She quickly contacted Xavier and informed what had happened.

"Don't worry Ororo, he has not gone far. I can't reach him telepathically as he has his shields on but I can sense he's close. He probably needs some space. He'll contact us if he's in trouble." The professor informed Storm telepathically.

"Alright Charles. I'm going to check on the others." She shook her head in sadness and went away.

Kitty had entered the room and saw that Rogue had stopped crying. "Hey Rogue. Are you like okay? What happened?" The brunette asked worried. "I'm fine. I'd rather not talk about it." Rogue replied as she headed towards her bed. Kitty nodded and spoke "I'm here for you if you need anything!" She said with concern and proceeded practicing for a play she had signed up for earlier. 

_**At the lake**_

Scott was lying down on the grass. He breathed deeply taking in the fresh air. He loved looking at the peaceful night sky full of stars. His thoughts shifted to Rogue and how he had disappointed her. No. Not disappointed. Hurt. Yeah. She was hurt. He could feel her pain. He tried to take his mind off her. He groaned aloud and looked at the way the lake glistened under the moonlight. He saw the reflection of the moon on the waters. It gave off a mystical glow. Time passed by as he kept looking at the lake.

 _ **9.30 PM at the mansion**_

Kurt was sharing a room with Evan ever since more students had transferred to Xavier's. "Hey man, did you notice something weird about Scott?" Evan asked the blue furred mutant. "Ya. He seemed upset!" Kurt nodded in agreement. "He probably needs some space. Well, I'm going to bed. I had a heavy dinner. Goodnight!" He rubbed his stomach and lied down on his bed. "Man, you gotta lay off those burger bombs." Evan chuckled looking at Kurt's stomach. Kurt gave him a sheepish smile and with that he drifted off to sleep. 

* * *

Rogue got up from her bed. It was 1.00 AM and she couldn't sleep. Her stomach rumbled as she hadn't eaten dinner. She grumbled and headed downstairs to get something to eat. She headed towards the kitchen and opened the freezer. She was still hurting over Scott and craved for some comfort food. She found a tub of chocolate ice cream. She opened it and scooped a bite with her spoon. She let the ice cream melt in her mouth before she sighed into it.

Scott closed his eyes tightly and removed his glasses for a few minutes. He put them back on and got up from the spot and walked towards the mansion. He opened the mansion door slowly as he didn't wish to wake anyone up.

Rogue heard the mansion door open and wondered who could be up at this hour. The alarm had not gone off so it couldn't have been an intruder. She shrugged and assumed it was Logan and went back to eating her ice cream.

As Scott advanced towards the kitchen to get a bottle of water, he noticed the lights emanating from the place. He decided against going in to face whoever it was but thirst prevailed. His throat was parched. He looked at her devouring absently on ice cream. His heart sank as he stood there for a minute, taking it all in. As he blinked and entered, Rogue turned to see who it was that had entered. Her eyes caught his as they stared at each other for a minute, not knowing what would happen next. He looked away from her and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. She had not known that he had gone out. It surprised her but she regained her composure. Since his accident, she saw a completely different side of him which almost no one except the resident adults had seen.

He decided to break the silence and opened his mouth. He closed it again as he couldn't get the words out. He managed to croak a 'Hi' which was barely audible.

Rogue looked up and started at him. She didn't reply and decided to concentrate on her ice cream instead.

Scott was deeply hurt at the cold stare he received. It broke him inside. He looked at her and decided to walk away from the kitchen, towards his room.


	16. Chapter 16

_(Thanks for the reviews. Keep em coming! :) )_

CrossfireMisty85 - Yeah, Rogue doesn't deserve to deal with it but i think it makes her character stronger. Glad you're liking the story. :)

Shellyluv34 - Thanks! Hope you enjoy it! :)

tx peppa - Haha. I'm glad you think that. Yeah, the x-kids in Evo verse are usually goofing around. I know, chocolate ice cream FTW! :D

TieDyeJackson - I don't know if there's gonna be a big scale fight between Rogue and Jean but they mostly won't get along (Just like in Evo-verse) I wan't to focus more on Scott and Rogue and less on Jean. But there might be fights involving Scott and someone else. I'm just going with the flow. So who knows.. :D

* * *

 ** _The next day_**

Morning came. Xavier Institute was filled with chaos of the students who were hurrying to get dressed and get to school. Once everyone had finished their breakfast and headed off to school, Ororo took a plate of breakfast and went up to see Scott. She had been to Scott's room last night but he had gone AWOL. She was worried about the fight that took place between Rogue and Scott. She knocked on the door and entered his room. He had been lying down staring at the ceiling. He looked troubled.

"Good Morning Scott. I was hoping to talk to you about last night." Ororo said cutting to the chase.

He grumbled and murmured, "There's nothing to talk about."

Ororo felt her temper rise. "You hurt her Scott. I'd like to know why."

Scott looked up at the goddess and knew she wasn't going to let it go. "I...I don't deserve her. Even if i did...she...she won't be safe with me. Not with my history...I lived on the streets, I stole, I did drugs, I have been to juvie, I committed crimes...need i go on? I am not worthy!"

Ororo Sighed ' _He has a lot of issues for a teenager._ ' She thought and shook her head as she started speaking. "Scott, It was not your fault. None of it was. If you think she won't be safe with the leader of the X-Men, she won't be safe anywhere. Besides, she is a strong girl. Probably more so than others. Don't let these things come in your way of happiness."

"I can't do this 'Ro. I really can't. I..." He started sobbing. As his breathing was becoming ragged, Ororo hugged Scott and tried to calm him down. "Shhh. It's okay Scott. Take your time." She understood where he was coming from. She saw the pain he was in and how his thoughts were muddled. A part of her knew he was making the right choice by not getting into a relationship, but another part of her was sad to see her two students who clearly had deep feelings for each other, in pain. "Don't rush into things Scott. Take your time. Figure it all out." She said, as his shaking form held on to her. No one could have fathomed seeing their leader in such a state. She was one of the very few people who truly saw Scott for who he really was.

After comforting the boy, Ororo nudged him to have breakfast. He obliged and thanked her. "Call me if you need anything." She said and closed the door.

* * *

Ororo walked to the kitchen where Logan was seated. She looked at him and smiled as she turned her back.

"Why'd ya stop me last night?" He said gruffly.

"Because, Logan. It's none of your business. I know you care about Rogue, but if you touch the boy, I will hunt you down." She said becoming fiercely protective of Scott and showed a bolt of lightning in her eyes.

Logan was rather surprised, "Didn't know ya cared 'bout him. Besides, I was just gonna have a little chat with him. I saw her. She was pretty upset 'bout somethin. You know anythin 'bout that?" He asked suspiciously.

"Logan, Scott's not in the right frame of mind. She's upset because he told her he couldn't be with her." Logan growled and popped his claws out, "He hurt her." He said as he gritted his teeth in anger. "Logan! You will not hurt the boy. Besides, he thinks he's doing the right thing _**because**_ he believes she won't get hurt if she's not with him." Ororo said. He looked at her in contempt and popped his claws back in and shook his head. "Somethin' tells me this ain't over."

"I agree. We should just let them be. They will sort it out themselves." Ororo said calmly. Logan grumbled and took to drinking his coffee and reading the paper.

* * *

Three days had passed since Scott's accident. While he was getting physically better, his nightmares seemed to have come back. His sleep was often interrupted by dreams and bad memories. He had also lost a friend in Rogue. They hadn't spoken after that night.

Morning arrived soon enough and the sun rays emanated his room. His alarm blared as he woke up with a grunt. Another interrupted night with bad dreams and painful memories had made him sleep deprived. He scowled when he remembered them and headed to the infirmary to see Hank so he could get back to his regular schedule.

"Hey Hank." He said as he watched the blue mutant work on his experiments.

"Hi Scott. Hope you slept well last night." Hank said, eyeing the young man through his glasses.

Scott merely grunted, "I was wondering if i could get back to my regular schedule."

Hank proceeded to check Scott's wounds to see if they had healed. "Well. You seem alright, Your ribs are still bruised and your wounds are getting better. Your leg has a minor strain but i don't see why you can't go to school! However, i must advice against any kind of physical activity. This means no sports, no running around and especially no danger room training until you are completely healed. Oh and might i add, no working out either."

Scott nodded at him "Alright. Thanks Hank. I'll see ya later!" and with that, he exited the infirmary and headed towards his room to get dressed and go to school.

 _'Well, Hank said nothing about driving. So i guess i'll take the bike'_ He thought to himself wickedly, knowing Hank might have probably stopped him from taking the bike had he known about it. He took a quick shower and wore black jeans, a dark blue t-shirt and rugged grey boots. He looked at the leather jacket lying in his closet and decided to wear it since he was going to be riding the bike. He looked at himself in the mirror and felt a bit better. He was tired of sporting decent and preppy clothes which he had to because of the whole 'Boy Scout' image. He took his backpack and walked towards the garage instead of going to the kitchen, for he wasn't in the mood for socializing or listening to kitty gossip and watching Kurt goof around. Worst of all seeing Jean being obnoxious or facing Rogue after he hurt her.

He opened the garage door and took his motorcycle out. As he fastened the helmet, he sat on his bike and started the engine, accelerating it and speeding out of the driveway. He sped through the roads and stopped when he reached Bayville High. After parking his bike, he headed towards the building and encountered the brotherhood. They gave him a death glare while heading towards him.

"So summers! Heard ya wrecked your car!" Lance said and gave him a menacing smile.

"What's it to you Alvers?" Scott spoke out furrowing his eyebrows. He was in no mood to talk or fight with anyone. He just wanted to be alone.

"What happened to your weird, i'm a boy scout clothes, shades?" Pietro spoke quickly as he ran and stood in front of him. He smiled wickedly and folded his arms in front of his chest.

"It's none of your business." He stated with a stoic expression, trying not to flare up.

"Shut up Summers. You can't win the fight against us. Your X-Geeks aren't here to support ya!" Lance said just as he pulled Scott by his collar.

"Lance. If you don't let me go right now, i'm gonna see how far i can stick my foot up your ass!" He glared and threatened the boy with rage building up inside him.

"Summers, You are dead!" Lance said gritting through his teeth and pushed him against the wall.

Just then, a lecturer interrupted the fight and spoke, "Problem, Boys?"

The boys stood there staring at the lecturer. Lance removed his hands from Scott's Jacket and looked like he was a deer caught in the headlights.

Scott quickly spoke, taking the opportunity to back away."No. We were just headed to class." He said and left the brotherhood gang, heading towards the hallway.


	17. Chapter 17

CrossfireMisty85 - Thank you for your kind words. I hope you continue enjoying it! :)

tx peppa - Haha. Yeah, In X-Men evoverse those two always acted like parents. :)

* * *

As Scott reached his literature class, he sat on the chair at the far end of the classroom. None of the students had arrived yet since it was still early. He looked out the window and noticed dark clouds hovering over the grounds which looked similar to a hazy gathering of smoke. It was odd how contrasting the two were and yet they looked so similar. The atmosphere was damp and dull. It looked like it would rain any time now.

The lecturer had arrived and saw Scott staring out the window. "Good morning. Mr. Summers. I see you're here early." The British man said and cast him a look. "Morning Mr. Smith." Scott stated in a low voice and went back to watching the sky. The man took this as an indication that the young lad wanted to be left alone.

Students had started arriving at Bayville High soon enough. Scott shared the literature class with Rogue and was hoping to catch a glimpse of her and see how she was doing. People started pouring in the classroom when he saw her enter. She looked unhappy because she was still upset at the way he blocked her out of his life so easily. Their eyes met and she quickly averted her gaze from him and proceeded to sit on the other side of the room. He sighed and looked vacantly at his book. "This is going to be tough. Shit" He muttered under his breath. His apparent mutter didn't go unnoticed by the lecturer whose eyes were fixated on Scott. "Mr Summers, Is there something you would like to share with the class?" He asked out loud as the students looked at him. Whispers and giggles arose but it quickly died down when Scott spoke, "No." Scott said nonchalantly and wen't back to staring at his book.

Right after the class Jean had come down to meet Scott and Rogue. She was feeling guilty about her outburst at both of them and wanted to apologize.

"Scott, Rogue! Can i talk to you for a moment?" Jean asked the two teenagers. They looked at each other wondering what was going on. Maybe the professor was in trouble? Scott thought and quickly asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Uhh yes, I just wanted to apologize to the both of you! I didn't mean to be such a...a..." She faltered for a moment looking for words.

"Bitch?" Rogue and Scott finished at the same time and looked at each other and quickly looked away in the opposite directions.

"Yes..I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry and i hope you can forgive me. I'd like us to still be friends." She said and looked down as she shuffled her feet guiltily.

They were both surprised at her admission as they mulled things over. Rogue was the first one to speak. She noticed the redhead's expression. She seemed genuine enough and thought it would be best to forget about all of this if they were going to be living at the same mansion and be a part of X-Men. "Ah.. Apology accepted i guess. I don't know about being friends but i guess this is a start. I have to get to my other class. See ya around." She said and left them alone.

Scott looked at Jean and started, "Jean, what you said was wrong on every level... I accept your apology but i don't think i have it in me to forgive you right now. Maybe in a few days, but i can't go back to being how we were. I hope you understand and I'm sorry if i may have hurt your feelings." he looked at her with seriousness as she responded. "I understand." She said sadly as he nodded and walked towards his next class.

Classes passed by in a jiffy, nevertheless Scott was getting restless. Apart from the usual curious stares which he came across because he looked injured, time seemed to slow down excruciatingly for him. He wanted to escape from the pain and turmoil which he was going through.

As lunch time came, Scott walked towards the hall to reach his locker, he noticed Duncan and his goons picking on someone. He couldn't see who it was until he caught a glimpse of the brown and white hair. 'Rogue!' He thought and headed towards them.

"Hey goth girl, why don't you give us a kiss!" Duncan said cornering her.

"Duh... I don't think kissing a vampire is a good idea!" the other one said and snickered.

"Let me go ya dumb Jocks! Or you will pay!" Rogue glared at their direction and was about to take off her glove.

"Hey we just want a kiss!" one of the lackeys said with an evil look on his face.

"Sure. If it's a kiss ya want!" Rogue said, intended on kissing them so they would drop down.

"Leave her alone Duncan!" Scott uttered gritting his teeth and balling his fists in anger.

The students and rest of the X-Men started crowding the place, excited to see a fight happening.

"Or what Summers? You planning on protecting this bitch?" Duncan voiced condescendingly.

"OR one of us is going to win this fight and the other is going to be left with nothing but his dick in his hand. And i don't plan on losing." He stated confidently as his tall figure towered over the Jock.

The crowd gasped at his bold comment and cheered for them to fight. Soon the hallway erupted into cheers. "Fight. Fight. Fight!"

The X-Men were rather shocked at his outburst and stood there gaping. Rogue was worried and Jean was wide eyed in shock. She didn't know who to support. Her Jock boyfriend or her friend, the X-Men Leader.

"You asshole!" Duncan said trying to land a punch on him.

The next thing that happened seemed to go in a fast forward motion. Scott landed a punch on Duncan as he flipped him over. Duncan landed on the floor and the other two Jocks tried grabbing him. Scott was quick and managed to not get punched. He squatted and swiped his leg out as it landed against the other guy's leg and brought down one of the Jocks. Just as he was about to punch the other guy, a teacher broke the fight while the excited crowd groaned at the intrusion and dispersed.

"To the principal's office. NOW! All of you!" The man bellowed at the three Jocks and at Scott. They glared at each other and grudgingly headed to the office.

Scott and the others came out of the office after being given a lecture and getting a month of detention. The man had not listened to Scott's defense. The principal had strictly warned them that if they fought again, they would get suspended. He trudged to the parking lot as he had a free period and lunch wasn't over yet. He sat on his bike and rode away from the school. He was pissed off and needed to vent or at the least be in a quiet space to calm down.

He called a number while he was on his way to a wooded area. "Troy. Scott here. I need a photo."

"What happened to the one i gave you dude?" The guy asked him curiously.

"Long story. I'll be there at 5." He spoke in a hurry.

"Yo. Just get the green! I'll have it ready." The guy spoke and hung up.

When Scott reached the wooded area, he felt visibly relaxed. The drive helped him clear his head. He parked his bike and sat on the ground. He proceeded to lie down and looked up at the cloudy sky. When it started drizzling, he felt rain drops sliding down from his face. _'No point in getting soaked. Or i will get to hear another boring lecture from Hank on how i should be careful about getting wet while i still have injuries.'_ He thought while he got up from his spot and climbed on the bike. He raced on the smooth road just as the light shower trickled down his helmet and Jacket. He reached the school grounds when it began pouring down heavily. "Whew. Made it just in time." He spoke to himself and advanced towards his next class.

After a few hours the school day had ended. Rain had stopped and he headed towards his bike when he saw Rogue standing there glaring at him with her arms crossed.

"Hi!" Scott uttered apprehensively.

"I am very capable of handling myself Summers! Ya didn't have to walk your sorry ass in the middle of the fight!" She spoke venomously. "I'm not a helpless woman and i certainly don't need a knight in shining armor trying to rescue me!" she pointed at him and poke his chest as she turned her gaze away from him and started walking away.

Scott grabbed her hand and tugged her towards him. "Don't you think i know that? I didn't want to risk exposure."

"Yeah, right! Exposure. Like ya give a damn about me or the X-Men!" She scoffed as she removed her hands from his grip.

His expression saddened when he took in what she said. It took every ounce of restraint he had to not walk away from her. "I'm sorry for hurting you Rogue. It won't happen again." he furrowed his eyebrows with a frown on his face as he left.

Rogue felt a sharp pang of guilt at what she just said. "Scott, Wait! I didn't mean it that way."

"What other way did you mean it in Rogue?" He asked in anger, raising his voice.

"I..I'm sorry." She moved close to him. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

He watched her and his expression softened. He couldn't stand looking at her beautiful eyes glazed with tears. He moved in closer and spoke, "Rouge...I'm sorry... for hurting you. God, it kills me to see you this way. I can't be with anyone right now. I need to sort out my life first. I just want you to be happy and I hope we can be friends."

She looked at his torn expression and understood what he meant. She quietly nodded and spoke up, "So...friends then?"

He gave her a small brief smile covered in pain and nodded. "Friends." He gazed at her and was about to touch her cheek and wipe away her tears when he realized what he was about to do and quickly jerked his hand away. "So, do you need a ride?" He asked hoping she'd say yes.

"Well...actually i'd rather walk home." Rogue said while giving him a sad smile.

"Alright. I'll see you later then." Scott spoke and quickly left trying to mask his disappointment. Why was this so difficult for him? She just declined a ride. It's not like she hasn't done that before. Then why was it eating him up from the inside? He quickly shut out his thoughts and drove past the vehicles on the road. He decided to take the long drive home trying to forget what she said.

When he reached the Xavier Institute, he parked his bike in the garage and dragged himself to the mansion forcefully. Taking into consideration the fight that had happened in school, he knew the professor and other adults would not be too happy especially since the impressionable x-kids saw it all.

He entered and was about to close the door when he saw Rogue coming towards him. They heard the professor calling them telepathically. "Scott, Rogue, meet me in my office now."


	18. Chapter 18

tx peppa - Yeah, i was getting a little tired of writing about her being a bitch. So i thought i'd rather build on the characters. :)

CrossfireMisty85 - Read it and find out! :D

TieDyeJackson - I don't know if it's complex. But happy you're enjoying it! :)

* * *

Scott and Rogue trudged in frustration to the professor's office. They knew they were in for a lecture.

As Scott opened the door, he looked at the adults in the room. They were all gathered there. The professor was seated on the wheelchair behind his desk, while Ororo and Hank took their places on the couch. Logan was leaning against the wall.

"Oh great. Another boring lecture." Rouge said and rolled her eyes. Everyone in the room turned towards her and gave her a stern look. She gulped nervously and felt like she was being examined under a microscope. She backed out an inch and hid slightly behind Scott. He noticed this and quickly grabbed her gloved hand from behind him, trying to assure her through touch.

"Would you two like to explain what happened today? The principal called me. He was to say the least, very disappointed." The professor voiced with narrowed eyes and a serious expression.

"Duncan and his vapid buddies decided to hurt Rogue. So i stepped in. I told them to stop..but their dead brain didn't register that, so i did what was necessary." Scott said as a matter of fact.

"Scott, What you did was unacceptable! You shouldn't have hurt them!" The professor said.

"Are you telling me that i should have let them hurt her?" Scott said turning furious as his hand let go of hers. Rogue looked at the Professor in shock.

"No Scott, But you shouldn't have started the fight!" Xavier said trying to keep his voice down.

"He didn't start the fight Professor! Duncan did! He hit Scott first!" Rogue interjected.

"And what exactly did you tell him that made him hit you? Shall i repeat it? 'OR one of us is going to win this fight and the other is going to be left with nothing but his... ahem...his... well, to put it lightly...his genital organ... in his hand. And i don't plan on losing.' Now isn't that what you told him?" The bald man asked, clearly uncomfortable.

As the professor had finished his sentence, Logan was taken aback. He smirked, trying to hide from laughing. This directed a few glares from The professor and Ororo and an amused look from Hank who was too embarrassed to say anything.

"Logan. This is not funny!" Storm said and glared at him. Logan chose not to respond to her and quickly looked away.

"Scott, I do not understand why you had to provoke him. There are impressionable young minds who go to School, You should not have used that kind of vulgar language. You will apologize to them this Monday morning!" The professor said and shook his head in dismay.

Scott was now furious. ' _How could the professor not see the way the goons were hurting Rogue? Was he so blind that he couldn't see all he was trying to do was protect her?'_ He projected his thoughts.

 _'Now Scott...'_ The professor said telepathically but Scott cut him off. Scott shouted out as he balled his fists. 'I'm NOT apologizing to those fucking pricks! You know what? I'd say it and do it again if i had to! Screw this." He said and left the room. He was seriously pissed at the old man. He didn't feel like staying in the mansion for one more second. So, he decided to go on a ride and get that ID.

"Scott!" The professor said in shock at his behavior as he was cut off. Scott had put on his mental shielding, so the professor chose not to invade. He sighed and felt like he was fighting a losing battle. The others were equally just as shocked to see Scott act out this way in front of the professor.

Rogue considered following him when she stopped and turned around to speak."Professor! Scott is right. He didn't do anything wrong. He shouldn't be the one apologizing!" Rogue said and left the room.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

Kitty and Kurt were talking to each other about the fight that had happened in school as Evan walked in.

"Yo Evan! Did you see the fight today at School?" Kurt asked Evan who had come from skateboarding with his friends.

"Fight? I heard something about it. What happened?" Evan asked as he wasn't there when the fight happened.

"Scott kicked some serious ass" Kurt announced as Tabitha, Amara, Jubilee and Bobby walked in.

"Yeah! Wanna hear something even more shocking? Mr. Military cursed in front of everyone!" Bobby added in.

"Whoa! Wait a minute. Scott cursed?" Evan asked and Kurt nodded. "Out loud?" Kurt nodded again. "Cyclops?" Evan asked, double checking what they told him. "YES!" Kitty, Kurt, Bobby and Tabitha Shouted.

"Okay. Okay. Jeez. You don't have to shout!" Evan said as he flinched from the loud answer. "What did he say?"

As Kurt and Bobby replayed the events that had happened, Evan sat there and listened wide eyed. "Oh man! Is Rogue alright?"

"Ja. She's fine." Kurt responded

As the teenagers continued to chatter, they saw Scott leave Xavier's office. He looked angry and weary. He had his fists balled up and his hair was ruffled. As they saw him leave, no one dared to stand in his way. Seconds later they saw Rogue storming out walking briskly towards the spot Scott had gone. She saw him starting his bike and decided to talk to him. 

* * *

" Scott Wait! " Rogue waved her hands.

"Don't stop me. Especially if you want to defend them." Scott said, not looking at her as he put on his helmet.

"Actually, I told them off!" Rogue spoke.

He raised his eyebrows, surprised that the southern belle had his back.

"Can I come with you?" She asked hopefully. She didn't feel like staying in the mansion since everyone was pretty much talking about her and the fight.

"Not now. But, how about I pick you in 20 minutes? I gotta get something." He stated.

"If ya're planning on getting something ta drink, get one for me sugah." She said

"Rogue...you don't drink." He spoke slightly lowering his head in denial.

"I do. Just that, I don't when I'm around the mansion." She admitted.

"Since when?" Scott asked her, clearly surprised.

"Since I put mah first boyfriend in a coma!" She confessed and lowered her eyes in sadness.

"Alright. Get on the bike. You might wanna hold on to me." He said as he handed her a helmet.

Rogue got on the bike and held on to Scott as he sped away from the mansion. He drove fast on the paved road and made fast turns while she pressed harder against him. This only wanted him to make him drive faster. She was clearly enjoying the ride when she spoke, "Dang Sugah! You ride faster than Logan!"

He smirked and increased the speed. "Don't worry, i have good control over it. Wouldn't wanna risk it for a beautiful southern gal like you."

"Ever the charmer!" She quipped and clung tighter to him as he took another sharp turn. He winced in pain but didn't say anything because it felt nice. He slowed down a bit as they entered the city. He stopped near a video store and called a number. "Yo Troy! I'm outside." He spoke on the phone and cut the call.

A guy with spiked hair, who looked like he was in college waved at Scott. Rogue's eyes narrowed and wondered what Scott was up to.

"Yo Scott. You look like shit! What happened to you man?" He spoke as he saw Scott's face.

"Ran into a little accident while i was high. Do you have the photo?" Scott frowned.

"No shit! You gotta take it easy man. Here you go. I believe we haven't been introduced. I'm Troy." He said and looked over at Rogue.

Rogue eyed him suspiciously and looked at the ID which the guy had given Scott.

"This is my friend, Rogue. I'll see you around dude. We're getting late." Scott spoke up and handed him the money.

"Sure dude. Nice meeting ya Rogue. Take it easy." He said and turned around walking away from them.

Scott started the bike when Rogue decided to speak up, "Another fake ID?"

"Yeah, I know that they aren't gonna give me my old fake ID. So i decided to buy one." He said nonchalantly.

"Wow. I think i should film this. It sure as hell would freak the others out." She smirked.

Scott chuckled and shook his head, "They'd probably shit their pants."

Rogue laughed and agreed with him as they rode to a bar to buy some alcohol. As they reached the bar, he stopped and looked at her.

"Stay here. Oh and what would you like?" He asked and squeezed her shoulder. "Anything." She said as he entered the bar and purchased two bottles of vodka and Bourbon. He took it and left the bar and saw her standing there, with her back faced to him. He stared at her and thought, _'God, she's beautiful. She has no idea what she does to me.'_ He shrugged away his thoughts and went towards her. "Hey" He spoke softly as she turned around to his voice. "Hey yerself. Get somethin' good?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah. Got two bottles of Vodka and Bourbon." He said and started the bike.

"Where are we gonna drink it?" She asked in confusion.

"I was thinking we could drink at the lookout point. I know a hideaway but we might have to stay there all night. Or we could just drink at the mansion and risk getting grounded by Logan and lectured by the others. Either way is fine with me." He spoke and grinned at her.

"Hmm. Tough choice. As much as i would like to stay away from the mansion, i don't think we should... since ya're recovering an' shit. I have a better idea." She spoke and guided him towards an undisclosed destination.

As they reached the lake near the Xavier Mansion, Scott spoke up. "Ah! I forgot about this place. That spot near the tree looks comfortable."

"Mhmm. So how are we gonna do this? Drink and go back to Xavier's or Drink and stay here all night? Curfew is at 1.00 AM. But we aren't exactly away from the mansion..So...the curfew kinda doesn't apply to us!" She voiced back.

"It'll get cold. We can't sleep here, not unless we hook up a tent." He narrowed his eyes while thinking of a better way to get away from being in trouble.

"How about we play it by the ear?" She said

"Sounds good to me." He said and sat on a patch of dry grass. He opened a bottle and handed it out to her and opened another bottle for himself. "Cheers."

"To our freakish mutant life." She said in sarcasm.

Scott frowned at this. "We aren't freaks. If anything, we are homo-superior."

Rogue snorted and bit her tongue to keep from laughing out at his comment. "Okay." She said and took a sip of Vodka. "Damn. This is strong."

He shrugged and took a swig of the bourbon and smacked his lips.

"Ya might wanna slow down a bit." She commented

"Nope." He said and took another swig.

"So...why dontcha tell me more about what happened after she was gone." Rogue spoke, wishing to know more about his past.

His back stiffened for a moment. He breathed out deeply and sank back. "Alright."


	19. Chapter 19

_Thanks for the reviews. Keep em coming! :)_

"Well. She was gone. And i was heading to Juvie. They kept me in SHU for a month because of my powers and when i posed no threat, they transferred me back." Scott continued, He slumped his shoulders and his voice turned hoarse. "It was terrible...I...It just messed me up so much." He exhaled and took a swig of the bourbon while she listened, her eyes went wide and she grabbed his hand when he mentioned this, "What? They can't do that! They isolated you! You.. you were harmless!"

"Tell that to the cops." He gave a forced bitter smile. "Anyway, the people there tortured me. They hurt me because they didn't understand me. I was lightly stabbed once by some criminals. But then it happened again..."

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"Please. Don't hurt me!" Scott screamed._

 _"Die Scum!" One of the guys shouted._

 _"Yeah. Blind boy. You shouldn't be living you useless piece of shit!" The other one said as they grouped in front of him. He had no where to escape. He had backed up near a wall. The guy pushed him and slammed him against the wall and slumped down in pain. He heard one of the guys draw out a shiv. Sensing this, he quickly removed his bandage and opened his eyes. A red force of optic blast appeared and landed straight on the other end of the wall and sent the group flying backwards. He quickly shut his eyes and heard people shout._

 _"Drake! Oh no, He's dead." He heard someone say. He was on the verge of tears but he had to think straight. There was chaos everywhere. There were people hurt. He sensed an open space from the blast and started to run. He ran as far as he could and did not stop to look back. He cried when he heard no one follow him. The prison alarm was ringing and there were guards everywhere. He narrowly escaped the place and decided to lay low for a while._

 _He was in the city when his head started pounding and he released an uncontrollable optic blast that accidentally demolished a construction crane. The crane fell towards a crowd of bystanders, and he quickly used another blast to destroy the debris and save them. However, they feared his unusual ability and formed an angry mob. He ran until he heard the sound of a train running and escaped the mob by fleeing on a freight train._

 ** _End of Flashback_**

"Scott, i had no idea that ya had such a bad childhood." Rogue said and shivered a little.

"Well, i'd rather not discuss my past with others. Its...painful and i don't want anyone to pity me. I know most people think i have had it easy and frankly, I'd rather let them believe that. Atleast they won't have to share or experience the pain. And i'm telling you this because you've had a sucky childhood too, so you understand what it's like."

"I understand." She said and took a gulp from the bottle of Vodka.

He nodded and drank for a few minutes before he continued to tell her about his past. It was 7 PM and the sun had set not long ago. It was getting darker by the minute and the moon started shining, illuminating the lake.

 _ **Flashback**_

 _As he got off the train, he walked towards the area, trying to sense the place when he was found by a mutant criminal named Jack Winters, who became his foster father._

 _"Goin' somewhere kid?" Jack asked the young boy._

 _"What if i am? It's none of your business." The boy replied in a curt tone._

 _"Take that tone with me one more time and i'll report you to the cops! They are looking for you. Now, if you come with me, i can keep you safe." Jack said_

 _"Do i have a choice?" Scott retorted._

 _"No." The man said and continued, "I know about your special abilities. I have them too."_

 _"What? You shoot red blasts from your eyes too?" He asked surprised._

 _"No. I'm a living diamond. I can help you cops will be here any minute. Lets go" Jack said, trying to convince Scott that he meant no harm._

 _Scott nodded and left the place with him._

 _Soon after, Winters sought to use Scott's new found talent in his crimes, and physically abused the young boy when he initially refused._

 _Scott was locked up in a small room when he heard the door open. He heard the man come towards him, "Listen, i've got a job for you. There's this bank me and my buds are gonna break into tonight. Now, you are gonna need to use those powers."_

 _"What? I'm not doing that!" He spoke back._

 _Jack slapped the boy hard on his face and punched on his stomach. "Keep up that attitude and i turn you to the cops." He threatened._

 _Scott had fallen on his knees from the pain. A stream of tears poured down his cheeks. For the next few months, Jack had tortured him. He didn't provide enough food. He became thinner and thinner by the week. He had dark bags around his eyes. He had been mentally and physically abused. He had bruises and sprains all over his body. He had become Jack's punching bag for whenever he was upset. The man would lash out on him. He tortured Scott and shouted at him. On most nights Scott went hungry and cried himself to sleep hoping the world would end. The man eroded away Scott's confidence and his will to live._

 _One night, the physically abusive Jack wanted Scott to help him break into a nuclear power plant, the place where Jack's mutant abilities were triggered by radioactive material. Scott only agreed to help and fight off the guards because he knew that Jack would kill them if he didn't. It was then that Professor Charles Xavier who had been tracking Scott with the help of the FBI, intervened to save him. Defeating Jack with Scott's aid, Xavier offered the boy the opportunity to become his first student at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters._

 ** _End of Flashback_**

Rogue sat there speechless as he finished the story. Tears ran down her cheeks as she looked at him. She was angry, hurt and experienced every negative emotion ever known.

"Hey" Scott said cupping her face and wiping off the tears from her face. She looked at him and jumped to hug him tightly. Scott hugged her back and buried his face on her shoulders, trying to refrain from crying. They held each other for a moment until he finally gave in and silent tears evaporated before they reached his eyelashes. He gently pulled away and looked at her. She wiped away her tears and stopped crying.

"I'm sorry ya had to go through that." She said and sniffed.

"Eh. Try not to think about it." He said and returned back to a stoic gaze, not expressing any emotion. He sighed and started drinking again. Rogue watched him finish half the bottle. She looked at her own and decided to follow his action and downed quarter of the bottle.

"Lets think of something else. Say, what's your favorite place?" He asked hoping to steer clear of the previous conversation.

"I like it here. What's yours?" She asked.

"Ditto." He said simply and half smiled at her. "So, didn't you love it when i defended you at School or did you ?"

Rogue chuckled at his attempt to change the subject. "I can handle myself. Although, i did enjoy seeing Duncan and his dumb ass friends get beaten up. Admit it summers, you enjoyed beating them up." she teased and gave him a coy smile.

"Never doubted You. I believe in grabbing opportunities. You just happened to be there at the right time." He joked and saw her open her mouth in mock astonishment.

"I knew it!" She said and punched his arm.

"Ow. You're a lot stronger than you're given credit for. Maybe you need to ease off the snack cakes." He said in seriousness. Her expression changed to shock and he burst out laughing.

"Ya're gonna pay, Summers!" She said and lunged at him. They laughed and wrestled as he pinned her down on the grass.

"I'm a lot stronger than you." He stated as a matter of fact.

"Ya won't be if i plan on kicking you in your little special place." She said and pointed towards his crotch.

His smile turned into a shock and said, "You wouldn't! And it's definitely not little."

"Try me, Sugah. And that.." She said while her eyes trailed down to his crotch, "..remains to be seen." She concluded.

He blushed at the comment and let go of her. He got up and sat down on the grass.

Rogue chuckled. "Was that a blush? Oh this is rich!" She laughed out loud.

"What? No. I wasn't blushing." He lied and planned on getting back at her. "And by the way, i don't have a problem in showing it." He commented with a smug face.

Rogue blushed at his comment and decided to speak when he interrupted her. "Pink is a good colour on you. I will have to ask kitty to buy you pink clothes" He said clearly teasing her.

"I'll push ya in the lake if ya ever say that to her." She voiced out loud and smiled deviously, "Show it to me." She said, calling his bluff.

"Umm. What?" Scott gave off a shocked expression. His eyes were as wide as they could get behind his glasses.

"Ya heard me." She said and smirked.

"Alright. You called my bluff!" He said and lifted his hands up in the air in defeat.

"Bringing Kitty in the middle like that was a bad idea!" She sated and grinned.

"I'm like so sorry. Like totally sorry. Like, i should call Lance up and ask him to like talk to you!" He mocked flailing his hands about.

Rogue bit her cheek but burst out laughing anyway. "Damn. That's _like_ a good Kitty Impression."

He laughed with her and they both took a sip of their drinks.

"Damn. I'm hungry." She said and rubbed her stomach.

"Mmm. I can't drink and drive. How about we grab something from the kitchen?" He said and looked at her.

"And risk getting caught?" She asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Well, why don't we order in and stand a little away from the mansion? How about Pizza?" He asked her.

"Sounds good. With everything and extra cheese?" She asked hopefully while her mouth watered from the thoughts of food.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." He chuckled lightly.

He reached for his phone and called up the restaurant. "Hi. I would like to place an order. Two large pizzas. With the works and extra cheese. Oh and two cokes. At the Xavier's School for gifted youngsters. 1407 Graymalkin Lane" The man took his order and Scott nodded and hung up.

"Pizza's on its way." He said and smiled at her. Rogue smiled back and they looked at the lake in silence.


	20. Chapter 20

_Thank you all for the reviews! Hope you like this chapter. :)_

Scott and Rogue sat near the lake in silence for a few minutes.

Scott took a swig from his bottle and looked at the brown and white haired girl who seemed to be gazing at the shimmering blue lake. He watched her bite her dark luscious lips and groaned inwardly. Her face illuminated from the moonlight and her bold make up contrasted her pale beauty. Her skin seemingly soft and gorgeous and deadly at the same time. If only she knew how much he wanted to kiss her and hold her. But alas, he couldn't do that to her. Not that he didn't want to, just that he did not see the point in dragging her into his mess of a life. He lied down on the grass and looked at the stars. On lonely nights, he would usually sit on his balcony and look at the red tinted sky and remember what it was to look at the marvelous creation in colour.

Rogue looked back at him as he was intently observing the sky. His chest slowly falling down and rising up with the light breathing and how his arms were casually cradling his head. His Jaws were set tightly as if he was trying to hold something back. The way his leather jacket had fit him perfectly defining his chiseled muscles. She wanted to explore his beautifully perfect body. She remembered the way he looked in his boxers and how she felt heat rush to her body. She wanted him. She sighed and thought why he would wan't the untouchable goth girl.

"Something wrong?" Scott asked, with a raised eyebrow as he heard her sigh. He saw her staring at him and felt the urge to possess her, to give in to the feelings he had for her.

Rogue got back to her senses and went red since he had caught her staring at him. She mentally scolded herself while responding, "Uh..No" and quickly turned away. She closed her eyes as he reached out to her and placed an arm around her shoulders. She felt herself relax and looked at him. Their faces were inches apart from each other, his eyes gazing into hers intently. Their hearts were beating rapidly as they inched closer. She closed her eyes in anticipation as his lips almost touched hers when they were abruptly cut off from the ringing sound of a phone. She immediately opened her eyes and they jerked away from each other, not expecting to have almost kissed each other.

"I..uh..need to take this. It's 'Ro." He said and answered his phone.

"Scott! Where are you? Is Rogue with you?" Ororo asked with worry.

"Yeah. She's with me. We won't be home for dinner. We've ordered Pizza." Scott answered, avoiding the subject of where they were.

"Okay. Tell her Logan was looking for her. The professor sent him on a mission and he won't be back for a couple of days." Ororo spoke over the phone.

"I'll tell her that." Scott said, clearly sounding relieved that they wouldn't get caught easily now that Logan wasn't around.

"Scott? I'm glad you two have patched things up." Ororo said and smiled.

"I'm glad too Ororo. I'll see you later. Bye" He spoke and hung up.

"Rogue, Logan's gone away for a mission for a couple of days." Scott said to her as she detected a slight relief with his tone.

She looked at him and gave a saucy smile. "This means we won't get caught!"

"Yeah!" He looked at her and grinned. "I should probably go near the gates, the pizza should arrive anytime now." He stated as he looked at his watch.

"I'll be waiting sugah!" She said deciding to play with him and leaned over enough to expose her cleavage. Scott's eyes widened behind his glasses as he gulped and tried to look away. He felt heat travel down his body and stop at his groin. He walked away quickly, trying to think of anything which would subdue his lust for her. Rogue laughed as he walked away and looked at the tree beside her.

"Spiders. Think of Spiders. Gross disgusting insects." Scott mumbled to himself trying to not think of her cleavage. He reached near the gates just in time when the pizza guy arrived. "Perfect timing." He said and paid him and carried the pizza and coke back to the lake.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

Jean had entered the living room after spending an hour in her room, mulling over what happened at school. She saw Bobby, Amara, Tabitha, Jubilee and Jamie sitting in front of the Television, watching a crime - mafia related movie. Evan, Kitty and Kurt were seated nearby discussing something, While the other X-kids were in their rooms.

She went over to Kitty and Kurt and looked at them arguing about something, she decided to interrupt. "Hey, have you seen Scott?" Jean asked the fellow mutants.

"Hey Jean! Scott like wen't out with Rogue. We saw them leave on his motorcycle. Is everything like okay?" Kitty answered.

"Uh. Yeah. Just wanted to talk with him about the fight." Jean said mildly annoyed.

"Auntie 'O told me they won't be back until late!" Evan told the red head who looked a little disturbed.

"Oh! Did she tell you why?" Jean asked curiously.

"Nah. But i think he's mad at the professor. We heard them fight and he stormed off with Rogue." He replied nervously.

"What were they fighting about?" the telepath asked, trying not to probe into his mind.

"Dunno. Probably about the fight with...your boyfriend." Evan stated hesitantly.

"I see. Thanks Evan." She said and strolled away from the room in disappointment.

"Vat do you think is gonna happen now?" Kurt asked them with worry.

"Don't know Dude. From what you told me, blondie deserves it. But this is not like him. Ever since that accident..." Evan trailed off

"You like think that too? Oh my god! I like totally knew something had changed in him!" Kitty burst out in excitement.

"Vat? This is Scott!" Kurt said not believing his friends.

"Maybe he finally snapped!" Evan stated.

"That's so it!" Tabitha said and made her presence known.

"Tabitha! How long have you been standing there?" Kurt asked nervously.

"Long enough." She stated with a sly grin. "So what's up with Scooter?"

"We don't know." Kurt stated with a sigh.

Just then Ororo entered her room and looked at the young mutants as she heard them gossip about Scott. She shook her head and sighed inwardly.

"Auntie 'O! What's up with Scott?" Evan asked noticing her.

"He's just going through some stuff." Ororo said and tried to escape.

"Ha. Yeah right. Like what danger room simulation to run or which homework to do first!" Bobby chuckled out.

Ororo squinted her eyes and glared at him. She left the room without saying anything.

"Face it. Scott get's perfect grades. The guy has probably never stayed past curfew and gotten into trouble. He is a preppy school kid. He probably hasn't even kissed anyone. And he's in love with Jean. Another "perfect" girl. He's vanilla. The only thing weird is his cursing and the fight with Duncan, but then who doesn't wanna fight with that jock?" Evan said to the others, trying to make sense of it all.

"I don't know about that. He seemed to have flirted with Tabby earlier." Amara joined in.

"WHAT?!" Everyone said in shock.

"Yeah. Tabby, being *herself* mentioned something to him about not being whipped. And then he replied back and i quote, 'I don't get whipped. I do the whipping.'" Amara said with air quotes.

"WHAT?!" The others shouted again.

"Ugh. Do you guys know anything other than that one word?" Tabitha spoke out.

"You girls probably misread it. He must have meant, he does the whipping...as in...he whips everyone in danger room sessions. Like how he basically kills us all with all that training." Bobby told the girls.

" totally was like flirting!" Kitty chimed in.

"Nah. You girls are probably over thinking it." Evan said in denial

"Whatever. It's Scott we are talking about." Bobby said disbelievingly. The others sighed and finally succumbed to agree with him.

* * *

 ** _At the Lake_**

"I'm back with the pizza." Scott mentioned as he sauntered down the lakeside where Rogue was sitting.

"That was quick." She said as her stomach rumbled. "Lets dig in!"

They opened the pizza box and started wolfing down the pizza. He poured the bourbon into the paper cups and poured the coke in next and stirred lightly. He handed one to Rogue and saw her expression. "Dang Sugah! When did ya learn how to make a drink?" She said with surprise.

"Just something i picked up at one point or another." He shrugged.

He gulped down the drink and proceeded to make another one. "Whoa. Pace yerself! At this rate, i will have to carry ya home. And ya ain't light." She uttered.

"I can handle myself." He replied and drank slowly this time while eating the pizza. Rogue rolled her eyes at his comment and ate in silence. She watched him eat his third slice and then drink the rest of the liquid in his glass. He pushed away the box towards her and slightly rubbed his stomach. "I'm done."

"What? Those were just three slices. I know ya better than that. Ya usually polish off not less than 4 or 5 slices!" She commented wondering why he didn't eat much.

"I'm just not that hungry. Besides, i'd rather drink." He voiced. Something was troubling him.

"What's the matter?" She asked in concern.

"Nothing." He closed his lips tightly and looked away.

"I thought we were friends." She spoke in disappointment.

He breathed out and rustled his hair. "We are...Just...I don't want to discuss it. Okay?"

"Why not?" She asked trying to get some information.

"Because i don't want to think about it." He stated flatly, clearly annoyed by her persistence.

"Alright." She said and finished off the last slice. "Damn. Was i hungry!" She spoke and rubbed her stomach.

"Yeah. You've been drinking. So, it's obvious." He said and smiled faintly.

"Don't i know it?" She rhetorically voiced out.

"There's one more box if you're still hungry." He pointed at the unopened box.

"Probably later." She looked at the box and felt filled up.

"Alright." He looked at the sky and saw how the stars had formed across and decided to speak "It's a clear night."

"Yeah. I don't wanna go back to the mansion. Kinda wanna sleep here." She yawned out and stretched her limbs.

"Me too." He spoke out softly and massaged his forehead. "It would certainly do me some good. I can't sleep in my room."

"What's wrong?" She asked and placed a hand on his shoulders.

He exhaled and stayed quiet for a few seconds. "I have been having nightmares."

"What kind of nightmares?" She asked.

"Nightmares of my parents dying. Of Rebel...dying and the orphanage." He said put his palms on his face and rubbed them slightly.

"Oh. What about the orphanage?" She asked again.

"Me..being bullied...by this boy...Nate. He was my roommate. Everyone called him Lefty." He said in a low voice.


	21. Chapter 21

_Thank You for the reviews! I really appreciate it. :)_

CrossfireMisty85 - Lol, Can't say much about Rebel. Thank you for the 40th review! :)

tx peppa - Haha. No idea! She could go both ways. Yeah, they did need time to talk about the past. :)

TieDyeJackson - I'm glad (hope) you got the reference. :D The chapter after this will probably be heavy.

TheRealTayler13 - Updated! :D

* * *

"So...What did Nate do?" Rogue asked bearing in mind that not much was revealed about Scott's past at the orphanage.

"He just kept bullying me. I guess he thought i'd break down or something. In a way i did get the better of him and didn't give into his constant harassing. Guess that made me stronger, but i don't know why i feel like something's missing. I can't seem to put the pieces together. And lately, it's been happening a lot." Scott said with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Since when has it been happening?" Rogue's thoughts immediately went to the accident Scott had gotten into, but kept quiet since she didn't want to interrupt him.

"A few days before the accident." He said as his heart paced. He could feel it in his gut that something wasn't right and thoughts about it had been gnawing at him ever since. A second later he felt relieved that he could share it with someone.

"Does the professor know about it?" She inquired him.

"No. Things haven't been going well with him and I. Once things do settle down, i will talk to him." He replied with a sad look.

"Alright." There was nothing else she could say. She reached and hugged him tightly. Scott flinched in the beginning but relaxed a little and hugged her back. The hug was warm and it felt nice to have a shoulder to cry on.

"Rogue..." He said with a muffled voice while his face was buried near her neck.

"Don't worry. I don't bite." She said with a sad smile. This only made him pull her tighter into his arms as she sat on his lap. He let go after a few minutes and looked at her with tenderness. He pulled her on his lap as she complied and brought his hands near her face. He cupped the side of her face and traced her cheeks gently with his thumb while he looked into her eyes. He felt like he could get lost in her forever. And that's what he wanted to do. She looked at him, yearning for a kiss from the man she loved. She felt herself leaning in and closing the gap between them and kissed his lips. He backed away but she kept kissing and lingering until he parted his lips, inviting hers in. They locked lips and embraced until she felt her powers kick in and pushed him away. He resisted the push and lingered a little longer, however once she started absorbing him she pulled away. He felt dizzy briefly until he regained himself and watched her shut her eyes as she tried to sort out the memories. His most recent feelings came pouring into her. They were of how he looked at her staring at the lake and of how deeply he loved and cared for her. She felt her heart leap at this revelation and her eyes grew watery.

He got up and tried not to stumble and lent her a hand to get up. Once she was up, she wobbled because of the alcohol affecting her abilities. He caught her just barely as she managed to stand. "Rogue. Open your eyes." He said, turning her towards the lake. She complied and opened her eyes slowly. She knew she could control Scott's optic blasts but it burned her eyes every time she absorbed his powers. The optic blasts went through the lake and she felt much better. She turned her attention towards him as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Ya love me!" She exclaimed in Joy. "But why did ya...? What about Jean?"She trailed off questioning him.

Scott realized his mistake of hanging on to her when her mutation kicked in. He looked defeated and admitted. "Yes. But i can't get into a relationship with you right now. I'm sorry Rogue. As for Jean, i never really loved her...I was just in love with the idea of being with her. " He tore his face away from her gaze and looked down at the patch of grass.

"But why not?" She asked impatiently.

"Because, I don't deserve you. I'm a street kid. A druggie. A messed up person..." He shouted out loud.

"Doesn't matter to me. I think ya deserve me as much as i deserve ya. I'm messed up too! We all are." She said trying to remain calm.

"I'm not in the right state of mind. I don't want to hurt you by doing something stupid and dragging you into a mess. Please understand that." He said pleadingly.

"We can handle it together! I love ya!" She said in exasperation.

"No. I have to figure this out myself." He replied calmly.

Rogue exhaled and a look of sadness flashed in her eyes. "I understand." She spoke, knowing too well the need of trying to figure things out by oneself.

"Thank You." He showed a sad smile. "I promise we will always be friends Rouge. No matter what." He stated and pulled her into a hug. "God, what did i ever do to deserve you?"

"Everything. Ya're the most amazing guy i know. Although your self esteem could use a boost! Maybe Pietro can help ya in that area. Boy's got the self esteem and ego ten times his speed." She said trying to tease him.

"Back to teasing are we?" He laughed and pushed her head playfully as he stumbled.

"Only pointing out the obvious." She chuckled and pushed his head back while he stumbled, pulling her with him. They were both a little drunk at this point and couldn't stand straight.

They spoke and had a playful banter for a while, forgetting about all the bad memories. It was getting late and they were both tired from the harrowing day.

"Well, it's getting late. Guess we should head back." He said and picked up the Pizza boxes and the bottles of Alcohol. He covered the bottles in a paper bag and carried it with his left hand and Handed over the pizza boxes to Rogue. He grabbed her waist so she could lean on him for support as they trudged up towards the mansion. Once they reached the mansion, he opened the door and peeked inside to see if any students were around. Since the coast was clear, he grabbed her by her arm and pulled her inside. As they were proceeding towards the stairs, they encountered a miffed Ororo.

Ororo appeared and looked at the kids. "The professor want's to see you both in his study." She spoke as the two teenagers looked at her. Scott and Rogue followed the weather goddess while the rest of them went up to the rec room. As they entered the study, the professor spoke out. "Scott. Rogue. You're late."

"Well, not really. We were around the mansion. At the lake." Scott said nonchalantly.

"I see you two have been consuming copious amounts of alcohol." The professor said solemnly.

Rogue looked down in shame while Scott looked blankly. "Yeah. We have." He admitted looking at the old man.

"Do you two have anything to say for yourselves?" The professor asked with a hint of disapproval and anger in his tone.

"No." Scott simply replied.

"And you Rogue?" Professor looked at her directly and asked.

"Uhh...I'm sorry." Rogue said looking at him guiltily.

"I know the two of you are old enough to make your own decisions and choices. But i hope this won't happen again. You are both role models for the younger students. You must act responsibly. Might i remind you, you're both just 17. Now, please hand over the bag. I will not allow it around the mansion." The professor hoped his students would understand.

"Sorry Professor. We'll be careful." Rogue said before Scott had the chance to reply. She took the bag from his hands and handed it to Ororo who was standing beside the professor.

"Very well then. Don't worry. I am not going to ground you for coming past curfew or for drinking. I know this is a hard time for the both of you. I will be here if you need me." Xavier glanced at Scott and Rouge with a stern face.

"Thanks Professor." Rogue replied and tugged Scott's arm and walked out of the room. They headed upstairs in silence when Rogue managed to walk to her room. Scott followed her and stood outside her door. She looked at him and smiled. "Well, I'll see ya later. I need to get changed." She said and closed the door behind him as he simply nodded and left. As Scott entered his room, he took off his clothes and crawled under the sheets. He let out a moan. "Dammit. Why did he have to take the bourbon away." He laid on his bed thinking about the kiss with Rogue.

Rogue had managed to change into her pajamas. She kept thinking about Scott and the time they spent at the lake. They had kissed and confessed to being in love with each other. She felt content after a long time and had a smile plastered on her face. She looked at her bed and suddenly wished Scott was with her. She decided to go over to his room. She walked towards the boys dorm and went up to Scott's door. She contemplated for a moment and decided to knock.

Scott's thoughts went back to the orphanage. He felt like he had forgotten something important. He tried recollecting his memories but could not understand why he had this feeling of dread growing each day. He felt his stomach churn as the bile rose up to his throat. He sat up trying to calm himself down just as he got distracted by the sound of someone knocking at his door.

He pulled his sheets over him and told the person to enter, thinking it was probably one of the guys. His glance went upon Rogue who was standing at his door in her pajamas. A slight blush crept around his cheeks as he noticed he was in just a pair of boxer briefs in front of the girl he confessed his love to. A smile showed on her face and she walked towards him.

"Rouge, what are you doing here?" He managed to ask her in a squeaky voice. "I was wonderin' if i could sleep here tonight." She said in her thick southern drawl. She had no idea how much that accent of hers aroused him.

He mulled over the thought for a minute and continued. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why not?" She asked him confused about his denial. "Because..."He spoke unable to finish his sentence. He couldn't comperhend why he would refuse a beautiful girl like Rogue to spend the night with him. Before he could think up of a way to finish his sentence, Rogue spoke out. "Just as i thought."

She crawled over to him and slipped under his sheets. "Oh and sugah? Ya might wanna put on some clothes. Not that i mind. But better safe than sorry!" She teased and pointed at her gloved fingers. Scott's face turned red at the comment as he hurriedly got up and put on his sweats and a long sleeved T-shirt. He jumped back on the bed and muttered. "Oh yeah, i'm definitely going to get in trouble for this." Rogue let out a giggle just as Scott glared at her. "You find this very amusing, don't you?" Rogue simply nodded and stifled a chuckle. "You do know that Kitty sleeps in the same room as you do...And that means she'll probably tell everyone that you did not sleep on your bed." He spoke. "Yeah. And i don't care." She said and smiled at him. "Rogue, what the hell has gotten into you?" He demanded, not understanding why she was doing this. "Nothing. I just want to sleep here. It's difficult...not being able to touch people and now that i can touch, i want to enjoy it as much as i can. Who knows when I will go back to being untouchable again." She stated sadly. "Hey, you'll not go back to being untouchable. You are making progress and the professor is helping you. You will be alright." He reassured her and pulled her closer to him.

They stayed in a friendly embrace for a while. They found it rather comforting and felt more assured than they had been all night. With Rogue close to him, they drifted off to a peaceful sleep.


	22. Chapter 22

_Thank You all for the reviews! :) :)_

CrossfireMisty85 - I can't answer much about Rebel because i haven't planned that far ahead. :D I would love to read your one-shot!

TieDyeJackson - Lol. You have a way with words. Your comments are more interesting than the chapters i write! :D:D Hope you write a Scott / Some other character pairing story . I love reading your stories. I'd love it if you continue with 'Through the years' (I really liked the one with Wanda as it was different from the usual pairings. It kind of makes sense, *somehow*, that the pairing might work.) and 'A Thousand Nights' (Loved the humor in it).

tx peppa - The professor was asleep since it was late and yeah, there's no hiding around telepaths and nosey kids. Let's see what happens next! :D

* * *

 _"Hey blind boy! Open your eyes! Look at me you chicken! I dare you!" A boy named Nate Shouted and bullied the young Scott Summers._

 _Nate ripped off the bandage protecting his eyes. In response, Scott covered his closed eyes with his arm. The bully kept taunting him to look at him. The other boys hassled him about his eyes. They were a pretty tough crew and Nate was the leader. Scott knew if he opened his eyes, he would blow a hole through him. He almost thought that Nate wanted him to kill him. He came close to it but something held him back._

 _"No! Leave me alone! The hell with you!" Scott shouted and turned around. The other boys pushed him across and started beating him up. He fell down while Nate took advantage of the fact and kicked him on his stomach until he cried._

Scott, without waking moved to his side while Rogue was asleep. He was thrashing about in his sleep, remembering the past. He accidentally pushed Rogue down the bed.

She woke up groggily from the floor. "Ughh...Scott! Ya pushed me off the bed!" She spoke and got up from the cold hard floor. She noticed him thrashing about, his t-shirt covered in sweat and moaning out loud. She leaned down and shook his shoulders to wake him up from the nightmare. "Scott. Wake up. It's just a nightmare. Scott!" She said. After a few minutes of prodding he woke up and slowly reached for his eyes to check if his visor was in place, once he was sure, he opened his eyes and saw Rogue sitting beside him. He groaned and spoke "Rogue. Why aren't you asleep?" She looked at him with worry and replied, "Scott. You had a nightmare."

"Oh...Sorry. Was i moving?" He asked her in doubt.

"Try, a lot! Ya pushed me off the bed. Hell of a way to wake someone up." She spoke and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Shit. I'm so sorry Rogue." He replied feeling guilty for pushing her off the bed and waking her up.

"It's alright. What was the nightmare about?" She asked and placed a hand on his shoulder to sooth him.

"Nate and his crew were bullying me. It happened when i was at the Orphanage." Scott responded to her question and looked upset.

"So those were memories?" She asked and a small frown appeared on her face, wishing there was something she could do to keep him from having bad memories of his past.

"Yeah." He simply stated and got up from the bed. Turning away from her, he took off his T-shirt which was drenched in sweat and threw it in the laundry hamper. Luckily the sweat hadn't seeped in to the sheets, so he didn't need to change them. "You should go back to sleep. It's 3.00 AM."

"Do ya wanna talk about it Scott?" Rogue asked earnestly.

"No. I'm gonna take a shower. Get some sleep." He replied, taking a towel and heading to the bathroom.

"I'll sleep when ya come back." She spoke softly, trying to reassure him that she was there for him.

"Rouge.." He started but got cut off, "No Scott, ya can't win with this one." She said with a pout and folded her arms in resolution. Scott gave a frustrated grunt and closed the door behind him. He removed the rest of his clothes and started the shower. Groaning inwardly at the bad memories and lack of sleep he stayed in, feeling the cool water drizzling his skin. The water cascaded his skin as he removed his visor and closed his eyes and let the water splash across his eyes, sending a wave of brief relief on his now closed eyes. He stayed in the shower for a few minutes and let the light shower comfort him.

Rogue rubbed her eyes and yawned deeply while she waited for Scott's return from the shower. Staying up was difficult than expected but she would be damned if she didn't make him feel better. She felt faint noises from downstairs, recognizing that the x-kids hadn't gone to bed yet, because of no curfew. A night of drinking had given her a headache, so she laid down on the bed with her hands pressed to her head.

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

Kitty, Amara, Jean, Tabitha and Jubilee were sitting in the recreational room, watching a movie. Jean had decided to join them after a while.

"Yawn. It's like time for me to sleep!" Kitty spoke as she stretched out her limbs.

"Me too! I'm heading up." Jubilee said, her vibrant nature now completely gone because of the lack of sleep.

"Make that three." Jean spoke and went towards the two girls "Don't stay up too late." She warned the other girls and climbed up the stairs with the two girls.

Kitty reached her room and found Rogue's bed empty. "Funny. I didn't like see her downstairs. Have you guys seen Rogue?" She asked the other two as they stood at the door. They shook their heads not knowing where she was.

"Last i knew, she was with Scott." Jubilee spoke out.

"She wouldn't like be in Scott's room. Girls and boys can't like enter each others dorms after 10.00 PM." Kitty voiced out in concern for her roommate.

"Come on, lets go check with Scott." Jubilee piped in feeling excited again about breaking a rule.

"I guess. After all we are just trying to find Rogue." Jean spoke and led the girls to the boys dorm.

"Atta girl!" Jubilee spoke out loud making the other two giggle. She had spunk.

They went towards Scott's room and knocked at his door. "Scott. Ya don't need to knock. It's your room!" Rogue said, assuming Scott was knocking.

The three girls looked shocked and slowly opened the door. "Rogue! Like what are you doing here?" Kitty blurted out and looked at the girl lying on Scott's bed. They entered the room and shut it behind them.

"Kitty! Uh, i was just talking to Scott." Rogue jumped up from the bed and blushed furiously.

"Then why are you lying down chica?" Jubilee snorted, trying to get some gossip.

"What's going on here?" Jean asked in worry. She didn't relish the idea of Scott with another girl.

Just as Rogue was about to answer their questions, The door knob rotated and Scott entered, wearing nothing but a towel covering his waist.

"Crap!" He stated as he watched the three very shocked girls staring at him and his gaze shifted to an equally shocked Rogue.

Rogue snapped out of her daze at seeing an almost naked Scott. "Uh..It's not what it looks like!" She cried out.

"Then what does it look like Rogue! Because from here, it sure as hell looks like somethings going on between you two! I knew it!" Jean shrieked out in hurt and anger. Sure she had a boyfriend, but she had started to develop feelings for Scott.

"Calm down Jean. Remember, Rogue can't touch. And you have no right to speak that way to her or me. What we do is our business. So stay out of it." Scott spat out in anger as he clenched his Jaw.

"Calm down? You two are breaking a rule! If the professor gets to know about you and her..." Jean said and looked at Scott disapprovingly.

"Fuck the goddamn rule. And while you're at it, go ahead and rat us out. I don't give a shit." He stated angrily.

"I am not going to rat you two out! But if you live at this institute, you need to follow the rules! What kind of example are you setting?" She scolded him and narrowed her eyes, inspecting him.

"I don't care. We didn't do anything wrong here." He spoke trying to contain his anger.

"Umm..did Scott just curse? Thrice?" Jubilee spoke out and asked the people in the room. Kitty looked at her, just as surprised. "Oh my god!" She blurted out and shut her mouth quickly.

"Yeah right!" Jean said sarcastically and rolled her eyes at his answer.

"I have had enough. What do you want Jean?" Scott sighed and asked her out of exasperation.

"Nothing. I'm sorry, i didn't mean to sound harsh. But what you're doing is wrong." She pointed out to Rogue and Scott and left the room.

"We aren't doing anything wrong." He simply said while she headed towards the corridor as he looked at the two girls standing in silence. "Please leave." He spoke clearly annoyed by the disturbing encounter, yet polite enough to not be rude. The girls looked at a stunned Rogue and shuffled outside his door. He closed the door and looked at the girl sitting on the edge of his bed. "You were saying..." He spoke, reminding her of the bad consequences of sleeping in the same room. She looked down guiltily and thought about apologizing. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. So much for privacy." He uttered while she nodded with him in agreement. Her gaze shifted back to him in his towel as she completely forgot about the previous encounter with the girls. His hair was messy and moist. He smelled of musk and something faint and sweet which completely intoxicated her and made her blood burn with desire. It made her want to move closer to him and press her body against his.

She got up and inched forward to him, swaying her hips from side to side. She reached near him and wrapped her arms around his back. "Scott!" She gasped as he grabbed her and pulled her closer to him. She caught his scent took a deep breath, letting out a long and resigned sigh. "Rogue...We should stop..." He spoke as his mouth became dry. "...before we go any further." and reluctantly pushed her away from him.

 _Rogue was flustered because of the way she was overcome by his scent. She mentally scolded herself 'Keep yer damn hormones in check.' But his body...lean and muscular. 'No, think of something else.' The towel...What if... it accidentally slipped? What would she see? 'No. Bad Rogue!'._ Pink blush formed her cheeks at the thought of him being naked which Scott noticed, clearly amused by her reaction.

"Didn't know i had that effect on you." He spoke while having fun seeing her flustered and relishing the attention.

"Sugah, why wouldn't ya? You are easily one of the hottest guys i know." She admitted and sized him up shamelessly.

"Well, look as much as you want." He teased her. Happily allowing her to gaze at him while he moved towards his closet in search for a pair of long sleeved T-shirt and sweat pants. He put on grey sweats and tossed his towel into the laundry basket. Finding a white long sleeved t-shirt, he put it on and turned towards a flushed Rouge. He looked at her with a hint of a smile. He felt like he could always be himself around her and that he didn't need to pretend to be a boy scout or a responsible leader. He felt free around her. Uninhibited, young and carefree. Something what a normal young adult would feel, unlike his alter-ego cyclops which had to be mature, calculated, serious and calm. He didn't despise that part of him, he just wanted to be more than that when he was not being him and Rouge entered in his life and gave him that outlet.

Rogue had also noticed how he showed her his juvenile behavior and humor, something which he probably hadn't shown around anyone and that made her feel special and lucky to see this vulnerable and human side of the leader of X-Men. He placed his trust on her from the moment they met by reaching out to her unlike any of the other X-Men. He risked his life for her and through that they formed a strong bond of friendship which only got stronger as they got to know each other.

"What are you thinking about?" Scott broke the silence as he looked at her noticing she was deep in thought.

"About how far we've come. How much we have endured together." She replied not breaking the gaze.

"Yeah. I'd say we've gone through more than what normal people our age have." He smiled slightly remembering all their struggles and obstacles which they overcame. Rouge simply smiled and reached out to him. Grabbing his hand, she leaded him towards the bed and made him lie down beside her. She snuggled against his back and enveloped her arms around him. He relaxed instantly, feeling her arms wrapped around his stomach. After his parents died, never had anyone made him feel content and more at home than now. Soon, they dozed off to a deep slumber only to be woken up by the morning sunshine emanating from the curtains.

"Ow..What the hell. Ugh. Scott, close the curtains!" Rouge woke up groggily and winced at the sunlight pouring in from the window.

"And a good morning to you too sunshine." He grinned and said sarcastically while he was perched near the window absorbing the morning rays.

"What's wrong with ya? Ya wake up at an ungodly hour!" She groaned and pulled a pillow over her head.

"It's 11.00 am Rogue." He said seriously.

"Ugh. Feels like a bus ran over me." She said trying to not wince in pain from the hangover.

"And that's called a hangover. Here, take this." He said handing her a glass of water with an Aspirin.

"I'm never drinking again." She spoke with all the seriousness she could muster. Scott chuckled and shook his head. "I expected more from you Rogue." He looked at her seriously and a sly grin crept on his face. She threw a pillow at him which caught him off guard. She chuckled, "So much for good reflexes!"

"Hey! No fair." He spoke and chucked the pillow back at her. "So do you wanna grab breakfast?" He asked her hoping she'd say yes.

"Yeah, what do ya have in mind?" She asked.

"Well, since the whole mansion probably knows where you were last night...courtesy of Jubilee or Kitty ratting us out...I was wondering if we could sneak out for breakfast and spend a day out. We don't have school today, so why stay around the mansion?" Scott voiced out, clearly having spent some time thinking of an exit strategy.

"Sounds like a good idea. I don't want to face them." Rogue said and looked at the bed.

"Great. Why don't you get dressed and i'll see you at the garage?" He said, smiling at her.

"Alright. I'll see ya in 20!" She spoke and left the room.

Little did they know that with a house full of disapproving adults and gossipy students, they wouldn't get out easily.


	23. Chapter 23

TieDyeJackson - Haha. Hopefully in the future chapters, things may be revealed. :D I'd love to read a short story. Please write sooooon.

CrossfireMisty85 - Lol. Your questions about Rebel will be answered...shortly. Good luck with your one-shot. Will definitely check it out. :)

tx peppa - I'd say the adventure is just beginning. :D

* * *

Rogue had managed to sneaked back into her room, avoiding meeting anyone. Unfortunately for her, as she opened the door to her room she saw Kitty, Jubilee, Amara and Tabitha waiting for her.

"Rogue!" The girls said out loud while she winced. She still had a headache from the hangover and right now she would have really appreciated silence.

"Good Morning, Roguey! Had a nice sleep, I reckon?" Tabitha smirked at her disheveled appearance.

"Oh my god girl! Like give us the details." Kitty squeaked out, barely managing to contain her excitement.

"Ugh. Ya guys. It was nothing. Can we please drop it?" Rogue announced, voicing her annoyance and disapproval at gossip.

"No way Chica! You're gonna tell us everything. Or we won't let you out!" Jubilee spoke out while chewing a gum and popping it.

"Like yeah! Are you and Scott a couple now?" Kitty piped in waiting to hear the gossip.

"No! We are just friends." Rogue said and turned pink.

"We were told Jean caught Scott and you naked!" Amara said as Rogue looked at her in shock. "WHAT! We were not! Who told you that?" She asked the young girl in anger.

"Jubes and Kitty." Amara pointed out. Rogue narrowed her eyes as the two girls giggled. "You two are dead!" She threatened and leaped towards them.

"Jeez. Chill out girl. We were just kidding." Jubilee said narrowly escaping her.

"So. Like what happened?" Kitty asked curiously, yet again.

"Ugh. Fine. We were just hanging out and I fell asleep on his bed. He didn't want to disturb me but when i woke up, he was gone and that's when you three came in." Rogue managed to lie to them.

"Since when do you hang out with Mr. Stick up his ass?" Tabitha questioned grinning evilly.

"That's none of yer business blonde brain." Rogue shot out, getting angry at her.

"Whoa. Calm down Rogue. We are just looking out for you." Amara spoke out and looked at her warmly.

"So, like what's up with Scott? It's not like him to break rules." Kitty pointed out trying to think why Scott seemed different.

"He didn't break any rule. I did." Rogue spoke out, trying her best to defend Scott.

"So, tell me. Is Summers really hot in a towel? Jubes and Kitty were gushing over him all morning." Tabitha asked and smirked at her.

Rogue looked away from the girls. "What. No. He ain't." She managed to stutter out the words. The girls laughed at her while Tabitha spoke out, "Girl, you've got it bad."

"No. I don't!" Rouge tried defending herself. "Ugh. I'm going to take a shower." She spoke and left the room.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile**_

Scott had been staring out the window and soaking up the sun rays when Professor Xavier telepathically intruded his privacy. _'Scott. Would you please report down to my study. I need to talk to you.'_

 _"Sure professor."_ He said and put his mental shields up. He let out a deep sigh, knowing he'd be in trouble. He went down the stairs and knocked on the Professor's door once he reached the study. "Morning Professor. Is everything okay?" He asked the old man.

"Yes. Scott, I wanted to know how you're doing. I was asleep yesterday night when you projected your emotions from your nightmare." The professor asked, worried about his well being.

"Uh. I have been meaning to talk to you about it. I seem to be having a lot of dreams about my past at the orphanage. But that's not it. I keep getting this feeling that i am missing something. I don't know what. But i can't grasp it." He looked at the professor nervously.

"Would you mind if i have a look? I want to help you Scott." He asked the young man, hoping Scott would trust him. Scott slowly nodded. The professor brought his hands and placed the tip of his fingers on Scott's head. He tried entering Scott's mind but failed to do so as he had put his mental shields up. "Scott, Would you please put your shields down so i can have a look? You need to relax." Scott nodded and put down his shields. The professor entered his mind and looked around his memories. He reached the memory of his dreams. He looked deep in concentration and tried reading them. Unfortunately Scott's mental shields were strong and he had a hard time opening up his mind. With great effort, he managed to see flashes of his dream. The professor gasped when he saw Nate. Him and his crew were bullying a young Scott. He saw the orphanage and pushed further and noticed mental blocks in his mind. He probed further, but alas something pushed him away. He pushed himself back as removed his hands. Beads of sweat covered his face. Scott opened his eyes and saw the professor in a grim state. "Professor. Are you okay?" He asked in concern when the professor pushed back.

"Yes. I'm fine Scott." He sighed and stopped to take a breath.

"What's wrong? Did you see something?" Scott asked inquisitively.

The professor looked away from him and spoke. "Nothing's wrong Scott. You are just having bad dreams." He spoke trying to convince him that everything was fine. Scott looked at the professor disbelievingly. He knew the old man was hiding something and the only time he would do something like this was when there was danger involved.

"Something's wrong. I know it." Scott spoke out, his voice shaky from fear and dread.

"It's just your imagination Scott. I assure you. Everything will be fine." He reassured the young man. "Now, off you go. I believe Rogue is waiting for you at the garage." Scott was about to speak up but quickly dismissed it and walked out of the room.

 _"Ororo. There's trouble. Come immediately."_ The professor telepathically called the weather goddess.

A minute later, Ororo entered the room and looked at the professor worried state. "What's going on Charles?"

He sighed and looked at her gravely. "Essex." Ororo's eyes widened in shock. "So Logan found something?"

"I'm afraid not. But I know what or rather who he is after." He spoke and looked outside the window.

"Who is he after?" Ororo asked in concern and fear.

"Scott." He simply said and let her digest the word. Ororo looked shocked. "But why?" She asked not understanding anything. "I don't know. But he has been in Scott's life since he was at the orphanage."

"What? How is that possible?" Ororo asked the professor, unable to comprehend the information. The professor replayed Scott's dream and mentioned about the mental blocks which was placed in Scott's mind by Essex. "Does he know?" Storm asked, sadness enveloping her as the weather grew cloudy and rain drops fell on the ground. "No. And i would prefer if we could keep this between ourselves for a while. Would you tell Hank to make sure we have supplies?" Storm nodded and left the room to let the professor talk to them, no matter how much she disapproved of the plan. There was nothing she could do.

Ororo entered the lab where Hank was tinkering around with an experiment. "Hank. I see you have been busy. Charles found out some important information."

Hank looked up and greeted Ororo. "Ah. Good Morning Storm. What does the information pertain to?"

"Charles thinks Nathaniel Essex is out to get Scott. He has been involved in the boy's life since his time at the orphanage." Ororo spoke out, her voice barely audible.

"Good heavens! Why is he after Scott?" Hank asked shocked.

"We don't know." Ororo continued and revealed to Hank what the professor told her. A frown appeared on his face. He removed his glasses and placed his fingers on the bridge of his nose and gently squeezed it.

"The professor wants to make sure we have enough medical supplies in case anything goes wrong." Ororo spoke out sadly. She was far too worried about something happening to Scott and the kids at the institute. This place had been like a home to her for so long.

"I will see to it that they are ready. I understand the professor doesn't want to share this piece of information with anyone." He asked her rhetorically.

Ororo simply nodded. "Thanks Hank." She said and left the room and headed to one place she would feel at ease. The garden.

* * *

Rogue and Scott had met in the garage. He had taken out his bike and sped along the road and reached a diner.

Scott took out his helmet and Rogue handed hers to him. Getting away from the mansion made them feel much better than they felt in the morning. He took her hand as they entered the diner. They chose a booth near the window. They sat in silence for a few minutes when a waitress appeared waiting to take the order.

"So what'll it be kids?" She asked with a smile. She was a plump middle aged blonde woman and seemed warm and happy.

They smiled at her and Scott spoke up. "I'll have eggs, bacon and hash browns with a cup of coffee. Rogue, what would you like?" He asked looking at Rogue who was reading the menu.

"I'll have blueberry pancakes with a cup of coffee." She spoke and smiled at the waitress.

"Coming right up!" The waitress smiled and went to get the order.

"So, did anyone give you a hard time?" Scott asked as he looked at Rogue with a small smile.

"Yeah. Jubes, Kitty, Tabitha and Amara." She said simply, wishing not to continue with the conversation.

"Oh. Well. Fuck." He said, not being able to form a coherent sentence. Rogue laughed at him. He looked cute when he was looking for words.

The waitress arrived with two cups of coffee and went away to check on the order.

"Mmm. That's the stuff." Scott spoke out as he took a gulp of coffee.

"Get this. Kitty and Jubes decided to make up a story. So they told those two that Jean caught us naked." Rogue said, chucking a little. Scott nearly spewed the coffee he was drinking and grabbed a napkin. "WHAT!" Rogue ended up laughing harder at the the sight. "Yeah. Oh man. I chose the right time to tell you this.

"They are dead." He spoke out and she continued laughing. She managed to talk again, "Yeah. I told them the exact same thing."

"Great. Now the whole school is going to gossip about us." He muttered and went back to drinking his coffee.

"Tell me about it." She sighed and rolled her eyes in frustration.

"Did anyone give ya a hard time?" She asked him and took a sip from her coffee.

Just then the waitress appeared, interrupting the conversation with plates of food. She placed the plates on the table.

"Will there be anything else you need?" She asked politely. They shook their heads while she nodded and headed towards the counter.

"No. I didn't meet anyone. I spoke to the professor. He...He looked into my head to help me with my dreams and memories. At first he said everything was fine and that they were just memories and nothing more. But i think he's hiding something." He spoke seriously, worry lines appearing on his young face.

"What d'ya mean?" Rogue asked curiously as she raised her eyebrows.

"He wasn't being honest. He was lying... I could see he was scared. And i have only seen that look on his face twice." He replied and looked at the window where he saw the brotherhood entering the diner. "Uh oh. Brotherhood."

"What are they doing here? Who's that girl with them?" Rogue asked in confusion. They hadn't gotten any information about a girl joining the brotherhood. Scott curiously looked at the girl. She appeared tan with a short bob haircut. She was around 5' 6" and wore a pair of worn out boots with a grey hoodie and ripped jeans, looking very familiar. He looked at her necklace. The pendant was a half star made out of a flimsy metal, tied to a silver chain. His eyes widened and he dropped his fork as he reached for his pocket to take out his keys while his hands started shaking in shock. On his keys was the other half of the same star. His breathing stopped. His heart was pounding as he managed to croak out one word in an almost inaudible voice. "Rebel."


	24. Chapter 24

_**Flashback**_

 _"Rebel. Look what i found!" Scott said and opened his palm to reveal a flimsy metal star._

 _"It's beautiful." Rebel spoke out and looked closely at the star. She hadn't seen a piece of jewelry in a long time. And even though it wasn't real or sturdy, she loved it for it's flaws._

 _"I..I want you to have it." He said, handing her the star and rubbed the back of his neck._

 _"But...why?" Rebel aksed in confusion since she hadn't expected him to give it to her._

 _"Because, you're my best friend and I really care for you. And if we ever get separated, i want you to remember me. No matter how far you might be from me...you will always shine like the stars in the sky...and... and one day it might lead me to you." He said sincerely and continued. "I know it's not much but..." Rebel didn't let him finish the sentence. She hugged him with all her force as he managed not to fall. He hugged her back tightly wrapping his arms around her. "Thank You." She simply said and kissed him on the cheek. "I...uh..have an idea. Why don't i cut the star and you take half and i will take the other half. That way even if we get separated...we will still have something...a part of each other." She spoke out voicing her idea. Scott smiled at this and merely nodded in happiness. This girl had been his savior during his time at the streets. She cut the star and tied it with a rope and hung it around Scott's neck. He placed the star inside his t-shirt and put his arm around her shoulder. She did the same to the other star and hung it around her neck. She held the star in her fist and bent her head to rest on his shoulders._

 _ **End of Flashback**_

* * *

The brotherhood saw Scott and Rogue sitting at a booth near the window and they descended to meet their enemies.

Pietro had an evil smirk, while lance looked at Scott with hatred. Fred looked at the mutants in jealousy but hadn't gone ahead with the others. Instead he just sat on the booth closest to the kitchen. Todd on the other hand was indifferent towards them all and had decided to sit with Fred. Wanda glared in their direction and proceeded to sit with Fred and Todd. The new girl however, avoided their gaze and stares at all costs.

"Yo shades. Haven't seen you x-geeks around in a while after our little meet at the school." Pietro spoke out and snatched a piece of bacon from Scott's plate. Scott, on the other hand was in complete shock and hadn't noticed the two boys who were standing beside his table.

"See something you like Summers? Back off. She's ours." Lance threatened Scott as he caught him staring at the new girl.

"Ya guys got a new mutant? What's her name?" Rogue asked trying to get more information.

"Her name's Ariana. Too bad your little cerebro toy couldn't find her." Pietro looked smugly at her.

"Yeah. And back off. She's not interested in the X-Geeks." Lance backed Pietro for what seemed like the first time. Pietro nodded in agreement and spoke as fast as possible."Yeah. Stay out of our business shades and stop staring at her unless you want to get into a fight with us and lose."

Scott took no notice of the threats and merely got up from his seat in a daze, his eyes looking directly at the girl. He started walking towards her not listening to the comments of Lance and Pietro.

"Looks like he's lost his marbles." Lance spoke out.

"Yeah. Guess your leader is cuckoo." Pietro said and rolled his index finger pointing towards his head. Rogue glared at them and decided to follow Scott.

"Rebel?" Scott spoke unsure, as he reached the table. The girl looked up and saw a boy in red shades staring at her. She got up to the table facing him and said. "The name's Ariana. There is no Rebel you speak of." She brushed past him as her hands slightly grazed his jacket and headed towards the restroom, trying to avoid his gaze before he could reply. Scott gave a bewildered look and Rogue pulled him aside and ambled back to the booth tugging his arm in hers.

"Yo! Scotty boy has lost his mind!" Todd spoke out as he grabbed a burger. The others agreed in confusion and started eating their meal in silence.

"Scott.." She started but was cut off. "That was Rebel. I'm sure it was. She looked familiar. And that star..." He mumbled to Rogue in shock. It felt like a bombshell had just been dropped in his world. "Look. Let's just pay and get out of here. Maybe the Professor can help us." She spoke out trying to bring him back to the present. "What? No. I have to go see her. I can't lose her again. And i don't think the professor even knows...she is a ... _mutant_!" He spoke out loud and went back to whispering the last word when he realized he was practically yelling. "Look Scott, she said she wasn't Rebel. If she wanted to meet ya, she would have." Rouge said, trying to make him understand. "No." He stated simply, heading towards the restroom and put a hand in his jacket pocket. He stopped midway when he felt a piece of paper in his pocket he hadn't remembered putting it in there. Taking it out, he carefully opened it and looked at the words written on it. _"Meet me at Lookout point. Alone. After Midnight - R"_ He stared at the paper and quickly shoved it inside his pocked and turned around. Walking towards Rogue, he spoke out in a hurry. "Lets go." He put enough money on the table while taking her hands and pulling her away from the diner. They rode on the rode silently and reached another destination.

* * *

Scott and Rogue reached the park situated near the mansion. He took her hands and faced her when she looked up at him questioningly. "Rogue, I don't want you to tell the professor about the new girl we saw at the diner. At least not until i find out what's going on. And the fact that either cerebro didn't detect her or even if it did...the professor hasn't said anything about a new mutant...I think something is going on."

"Are ya sure she's Rebel? Maybe she isn't a mutant." Rogue spoke, still not knowing what to make of the situation.

"Yes. I'm sure. She's a mutant. What i don't understand is how we didn't know about it. I wan't you to keep them off their track. I am going to find out more about all this." Scott told her and looked around the park carefully.

"Alright. I will keep my mental shields up. How are we gonna get more information?" Rogue spoke, trying to understand his plan.

"Leave that to me." He said. "But..." Rogue started, nevertheless being interrupted by him yet again. "Do you trust me Rogue?" He asked her in hope, looking longingly at her. "Yes. I trust ya." She sighed and slowly turned her head to looked at him. "Good." He said and bent his head lower towards hers. He quickly jerked away when he felt like kissing her.

"We should be getting back." He said, looking at everywhere but her.

She sighed and muttered something under her breath as they walked. "I don't wanna go back to the mansion." She stated and scanned his stoic expression. "Alright. What do you wanna do?" He asked watching a slow smile creep up on her lips.

"We could go to the lookout point or the lake..." She trailed off and leaned in closer to him. She smiled wickedly at him as she laced her fingers on his Shirt.

"Rogue. I don't think we should do this." Scott spoke trying not to moan and take her right then and there.

"I want ya Scott. I want ya so bad." She admitted to him and pressed her body against his. "Please don't deny this to me. I know for a fact that ya want me too." She spoke pointing towards her head, referencing the memories she absorbed form him. "Don't fight this."

He grabbed her hand and walked briskly towards his parked bike. Tossing a helmet at her. He started the engine as they sped off towards the lake specifically choosing to avoid the lookout point because of the note he had received. He stopped near the lake and they got off the bike. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her frantically. Cornering her against a tree, he leaned in closer and kissed her neck as she grabbed his neck and moaned out in pleasure. "I love you and I don't want to lose you. Is this what you want?" He asked her. "If it is, there's no turning back. Rogue, I know i don't deserve you but i can't take it any more. I want you. I want you more than anything in this world." He uttered the last sentence in a low guttural sound of possessiveness in his throat. Feeling her skin prickle when she heard him say that, she spoke up and challenged him. "Sugah, I love ya too. I want this and ya have me. Now what are ya gonna do?"

He pinned her to the bark of the tree. Holding her tightly, he kissed her intensely and passionately, slightly biting her lips in the process which made her moan and wrap her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck and hair. He secured her tightly, pressing his body against hers as they felt a searing heat of desire pass between them. Knowing too well that that five minutes of unharmed contact was over and the fact that it would take around a few more minutes to touch her, he stopped kissing her. Instead of letting her go, he held on to her tightly as she moaned at the contact, slightly rubbing herself against him. He moaned close to her ears as he felt his pants tighten, which send her over the edge as she gyrated her hips against his pants. "Mmmh. Rogue, we should stop." He managed to speak out in a low voice. "Then let go off me sugah." She panted faintly looking at him mischievously. He realized he had her pinned against him and reluctantly let her down, turning away from her to hide the bulge in his pants. She chuckled softly and headed to wrap her arms around him. "Sorry." He muttered and looked down embarrassed. "Sugah, with what i am seeing, ya've got nothing to be sorry about." She stated, pointing her finger to his pants. He turned red and tried to get his mind off her.

"I do love you Rogue. And i plan on doing that every minute I get." He said to her and put one arm around her waist to bring her closer to him.

"I love ya too Scott! I've been in love with ya for a long time now. You're the reason i joined the X-Men." She revealed and rested her head on his chest.

"You joined because of me?" He asked her incredulously. She nodded and went back to hugging him. "Ya were the first person who tried to by my friend."

"Wow. I don't know what to say. I'm touched." He said and hugged her tightly. "Not that i have a choice. I mean, you basically never let me out of your sight. It's like watching a stubborn kid at a candy store wanting all the candy. I had no other choice but to be with you. The kid being you...The candy being me. You greedy little thing." He teased and winked at her as she pushed and hit him on his shoulder.

"Asshole." She commented playfully.

"Stalker." He retorted back.

"Horny prick."

"Provocative she-devil."

"Hot mess." She said seductively, biting her lower lip.

"Beautiful angel." He spoke out as they inched closer, their lips meeting passionately for a few minutes. They pulled apart as her mutation kicked in and looked at eachother lovingly, staying in a loving embrace. He thought about the weird day he had so far and his mind quickly wandered to Rebel. He sighed in defeat as she looked at him and spoke up. "You're thinking about Rebel. Aren't ya?" She asked knowing him too well.

"Yes." He admitted and hugged her tighter.

"She's gonna be okay. Or we'll make sure she's okay...She seemed disconnected today." Rogue said, thinking about their brief meeting at the diner.

"Yeah." Scott said nervously contemplating whether he should have told her about the note. He decided to go against it and face her alone.


	25. Chapter 25

Thank You for your reviews! I hope you continue to read and enjoy this story as it progresses. :)

CrossfireMisty85 - Yep. Only time will tell. :D But, you'll definitely see more of her in the following chapters!

TieDyeJackson - Thanks! Glad you liked the 'sinister' aspect of the story. :D It's a relief to me as well that i have finally settled it. I was running out of patience :D

Shellyluv34 - Thank You! Hope you like the following chapters! :)

tx peppa - Well, who knows! :D Yeah. I'm glad i got them together sooner than later. Thanks. :)

* * *

After a tumultuous day of bad memories, arguments, surprises, denial, acceptance and love and having finally confessed their feelings to each other, they had spent the rest of the morning by the lake and grabbed lunch at the gut bomb. As evening approached, they reached the mansion. Luckily, the girls hadn't spread around any gossip about last night, whether it was because of the fact that they were afraid of Rogue or that they truly didn't want to cause the couple any emotional harm, the couple felt relieved and decided to get some work done. Scott went up to his room while Rogue headed to the study to meet the Professor.

 _ **Scott's Room**_

Scott sat on his bed and pulled out the note from his pocket. Sighing, he opened the note and read it again. He went over everything that had happened today. He lied down, lost in his thoughts of the two most important girls in his life. Rebel and Rogue. The morning came as quite a shock. The last thing he had ever expected was for Rebel to show up at the same diner he took Rogue to. Was this fate? For a long time, he tried forgetting her but he never fully accepted her disappearance. To top it off, she showed up with the brotherhood and didn't acknowledge him. She lied about who she was by calling herself Ariana. Was that her real name? Was Rebel just a name she had given to herself? And then for things to make even less sense, she discreetly placed a note in his pocket. What was she up to? Why hadn't she contacted him earlier? Was she in trouble? All sorts of thoughts lingered in his mind, but the most prominent was, why had she left him? He thought about how she still seemed like the same old girl he had encountered before, with the short jet black hair, supple tanned skin, eyes as dark as night and just something that was utterly her. A part of him knew she hadn't forgotten him and the necklace she wore around her neck only proved it further. He still cared for her deeply and loved her. Had she never left him, he would have probably pursued a romantic relationship with her, but as unfortunate circumstances might have it, she disappeared without a trace. He remembered how he convinced the professor to track her when he had arrived at the Xavier's Institute but there was no sign of her anywhere in the world. The others thought she was dead or probably just something a lonely messed up kid would make up in his mind. Yet, somehow he knew she wasn't dead. Did they share a connection? Only time will tell.

Shortly after joining the institute, he was a wreck. He never got over Rebel but he did find people who cared about him. He had set his eyes on Jean Grey. A girl who embodied perfection. Someone who was completely the opposite of Rebel, except when it came to their strength. Both women were strong, but somehow he convinced himself to choose someone who was the polar opposite of the short haired girl. She was popular, had great grades, was great at sports and had a jock boyfriend who loved to pick on Scott. After meeting the insufferable excuse for a boyfriend, he had begun to hate him but saw Jean changing and becoming more concerned about her status in Bayville High and less concerned about friendship and things that really mattered.

His world changed the day he met Rogue. She reminded him so much of Rebel. He was smitten and enthralled by her gothic beauty. The day they were assigned for a play on Henry V was the day she mesmerized him. He felt a connection with her. After all they were alike in so many ways. They both had a terrible past, they had powers they couldn't control and hence decided to stay away and disconnect with people, they put on a facade of normality when their insides were being set on fire, they both knew pain very well. Inspite of her joining the brotherhood, she had helped the X-men and saved Jean from Blob on that fateful day. It was then, he decided to never let her go until she joined the X-Men. A part of him knew she had joined only because of him when Logan had asked where her allegiance was after mystique, he adoptive mother, tried to sabotage and kill them. She turned her head and looked at him for a second. He knew she was looking at him and all he wanted to do was to go to her and wrap her in a warm embrace, alas he couldn't get up from having hit his head. She looked away and he heard her agree. Content that he had her by his side, he smiled inside and for the first time since Rebel, felt truly happy and at ease. Memories of moments, be it bitter or sweet or even bittersweet, replayed in his mind as he dozed off thinking about the woman he loved. The angel who freed him from pain and gave him something to hope for.

 _ **Meanwhile at the study**_

Rogue knocked on the professor's door as he motioned her to enter.

"Ah. Good evening Rogue. How are things?" He asked trying not to sound worried since the day's event.

"As good as they can be Professor. Are ya alright? Ya seem worried." She spoke with a hint of concern, having noticed the telepath's expression.

"Nothing for you to worry. Now, shall we begin?" He said, knowing she had come to him so he could help control her powers.

Rogue nodded as they worked on her powers. They concentrated on getting her to control. Time went by slowly and the two mutants were thoroughly exhausted having spent one and a half hours building control when the professor spoke up.

"Very good Rogue. I am impressed you are gaining control of your powers rather quickly than i assumed you would. I'm proud of you. I know this is a long road and it will take some time, but i can see you gaining full control of them soon." The professor mentioned and smiled at her.

"Thanks Professor. I couldn't do this without ya." Rogue said and got up to leave.

"Might i suggest one more thing? Try meditating. A good amount of peace will help you strengthen your control. Perhaps you could make Scott do that too. I have suggested that to him before, unfortunately it resulted in him throwing a fit. Perhaps you could help him out. After all, behind every great man is a greater woman. " He suggested and continued. "Well, it's time for dinner. I'll see you at the table in a few minutes." He rolled his wheelchair towards his desk and checked on some paperwork.

"Alright professor. I'll try." Rogue stammered at his suggestion and started to blush after hearing his comment. Did he know they were together? She hurriedly left the room and headed upstairs to the dorm.

* * *

On reaching Scott's door, she slowly opened it and peeked at a sleeping Scott. She walked towards his bed and planted a fleeting kiss on his forehead. He stirred in his sleep as she heard him call out her name. "Mmmh...Rogue..." He gradually opened his eyes and saw her sitting on his bed. He smiled briefly at her and grabbed her by her waist. "Sugah, it's time for dinner." She spoke as Scott smiled at her. Pulling her towards him so that she was lying on top of him, he hugged and looked at her. "How was your session with the Professor?"

"Mmmm, We made progress. I can handle it for 3 more minutes" She said as she closed her eyes and laid her head on his broad chest. Lying on top of him was probably the best feeling she had in a long time. He was muscular and well built, yet gentle. "That's great Rogue! I'm proud of you." His hold on her was firm enough, yet soft and comfortable. She acknowledged the same with a smile. _'I could get used to it.'_ She thought and wrapped her arms around him. Scott kissed her forehead and placed his chin on top of her head falling in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"Do you wanna miss dinner?" He asked, hoping they could lie in this position forever.

"I'm tempted. But i am hungry. Unless ya plan on cooking for me, i'd say we grab some dinner. Maybe ya'll get your dessert." She winked at him and trailed her fingers on his chest, lightly scratching his t-shirt with one finger making him draw out a moan. "I'm just gonna opt for the dessert." He said and abruptly turned her over so she was lying on her back. He bent down, closing the distance between them and kissed her on her lips. Nibbling at her lower lips, she parted her lips inviting him. Their tongues wrestled in an assertive kiss while their hands trailed all over their bodies. Leaning further, he pressed his chest against hers as she felt his hands roam around her arms caressing them and then trailing down around her thighs. She lifted herself and pinned him to the bed as she laid on top of him and kissing him deeply and placing her hands on his cheekbones while allowing his hands to roam over her back. He grasped her thighs as she gasped in delight in his mouth while he kissed her aggressively. She pressed harder against him eliciting a soft moan from him feeling his arousal pressing against her while he tightened his grip on her when they heard a knock on his door which made them pull apart from each other quickly. Their breathing turned ragged once they pulled apart while they adjusted their hair and clothes quickly.

"Come in." Scott said as he heard the door open.

"Scott. Rogue. You two didn't show up for dinner. You'll miss out." Ororo spoke as she entered the room to look at the two teenagers visibly blushing and looking anywhere but at her.

"Uh. We'll be down in a minute." Scott spoke staring at the floor.

She noticed that and gave them a warm smile. "Anything you two need to tell me?" She asked knowingly.

The couple shook their heads in embarrassment while Ororo gave them a knowing smile and turned towards the door. "Hurry up." She said and left the room.

"Wow. That was close." Scott spoke to which Rogue simply nodded.

"Now where were we?" He grinned and leaned towards her.

"Uh-uh. Ya can kiss me after dinner." she shook her index finger and took his hand, leading him towards the door. He simply sighed, giving her a look of frustration and followed her to the dinner table. He sat next to her while everyone had begun their meal. Jean was missing, Ororo had told them that she had gone out on a date with Duncan. Kitty, Kurt, Evan, Hank, Ororo and the Professor were present. Dinner, as usual was uneventful. The kids were arguing about something irrelevant, while the adults were discussing about medicines and biology. Scott kept stealing glances at Rogue who was eyeing him curiously. He paid little attention to the food on his plate and took a sip of water from his glass when he felt her hands play around his thighs. His eyes widened and he caught her hand in his. Had she continued this any longer, he definitely wouldn't be able to get up from the table until he had his way with her.

They quickly finished dinner and headed upstairs to Scott's room. As they entered, Rogue gave him a smirk as she stood on her toes and leaned in towards him. Their lips met in a loving and romantic kiss while her hands caressed his neck and his hands gripped her waist. Soon their kiss was interrupted yet again when they heard a knock on the door. Sighing, Scott looked at Rogue's annoyed expression mirroring his own as he went ahead to open the door and saw Jubilee and Tabitha standing there.

"Scooter. Is Rogue in there?" Tabitha asked him with a smirk plastered on her face. Scott gave her an annoyed look. He had hated that nickname.

"Yeah. Rogue, Tabitha and Jubilee are here to see you." He mumbled disinterested.

"What's up guys?" Rogue spoke casually.

"Do you want to watch a movie with us? The girls are having a movie night. There's popcorn, games. All that." Jubilee said and looked at Rogue hopefully.

"In short. It's girls night in." Tabitha got to the point and looked at her in interest.

"Umm. That's not really my scene." Rogue spoke up trying to get away from them.

"Come on Roguey! Pleaseeee?" Jubilee said and gave her a too innocent look.

"You have been spending a lot of time with Scooter. Alone. You know how news travels." Tabitha coyly blackmailed her.

"Ugh. Fine. I give. I'll be there in a few minutes. Okay?" Rogue gave in as she folded her arms and rolled her eyes at the girls.

The girls giggled and said their byes, leaving a disappointed Scott and an annoyed Rogue behind.

"I'm Sorry." Rogue muttered to Scott, averting his gaze.

Ahh..It's okay. I have work to catch up to. See you tomorrow?" He asked trying to sound positive and hide his disappointment.

Rogue smiled and nodded a yes and kissed him one last time before leaving the room. After hearing the door close, Scott walked towards his desk and sighed. It was 8.30 PM and he had to meet Rebel in a few hours.

Just as he sat on his bed, Evan and Bobby showed up when Scott gave a questioning look.

"Yo Scott..Auntie 'O told us to meet you upstairs. About the Trig classes." Evan said as he laid out his books on Scott's desk.

"Alright. Lets begin.." Scott spoke as the three men sighed. Neither of them interested in said subject because of other things on their mind.


	26. Chapter 26

TieDyeJackson - Haha! How well you know me. :D Me too. I suppose there has to be some people who are understanding (the adults) and some who aren't. Otherwise it becomes too imbalanced. Thanks! :)

tx peppa - Well, I don't think he's gonna be using Rogue as a replacement. Sure, he loves Rebel, but Rogue is her own person. Only time will tell what i plan to do with these characters. :D

* * *

Bobby and Evan were seated in Scott's room, trying to learn trigonometry. Scott had debriefed them for 30 minutes on the lesson, trying to make it as interesting as possible.

"Suppose Evan bought a 42 inch TV, which means its diagonal is 42 inch long. The aspect ratio of the TV, which is the ratio between its width and its height, is 4:3. What are the width and height of Evan's TV in inches?" Scott asked.

After some calculations, Bobby was the first to answer. "Bobby. What's the height?" Scott asked and focused his gaze at him. "It's 24.25 inches" Bobby answered which earned him a relieved look from Scott. "Very Good. See. If only you apply that head of yours in more useful things, you'd be way better at this than most people!"

"But it's kinda boring." Bobby mentioned and looked at Scott while he rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Not really. If you learn to apply trigonometry in real life, you can use your powers for good. At the perfect angle, you can deflect it or do whatever the hell you want to. With precision." He said and looked at the young lad in hope. "Evan. What's the width?" Scott asked turning to the blonde mutant who was scratching his head in confusion. "32.33 inches?" Evan asked unsure of his answer. Scott gave a nod of approval and spoke. "See you guys. You're both getting it right."

"Dude. This stuff is boring. How does this even apply to what we do?" Evan rolled his eyes and looked at the ceiling.

Scott sighed and placed his palm on his head. He suddenly had an idea on how to make them more interested in the subject. "Wait here. I'll be right back." Scott spoke and left the room as the boys looked at each other curiously. He headed downstairs to the kitchen and took an apple from the fruit basket. He raced up the stairs and entered his room. Placing the apple on a table, he told the boys to remain still while he replaced his glasses with his visor. He turned the visor with his hand and emitted a low optic blast enough to deflect from a wall. The blast deflected from the wall and on to the ceiling. It went past Evan and Bobby and deflected to the wall and then towards the apple, thereby cutting it in perfect halves. "Whoa!" Bobby exclaimed, visibly surprised at the correct aim. "Cool!" Evan spoke and looked at the apple. "How'd you do that man?" Evan asked curious to know how Scott had managed to aim with such precision. "Simple Math and physics, guys. Which you think is boring. Now do you understand why these subjects are important?" Scott asked the boys, satisfied he had gotten through to them. The boys nodded and Bobby spoke up. "Yeah. That's cool. So can we blow stuff up now?" he asked as Scott slapped his hand on his head. "Just. Get out you two. I'll see you tomorrow." He said and pushed the young mutants out of his room in frustration. They left the room, clearly awed by Scott's performance although they wanted to practice it themselves but Scott had warned them not to unless they knew all the angles.

* * *

Scott relaxed on his bed and rubbed his neck. "Man. I hope they understood the importance of the subject." he muttered and proceeded to eat the apple. He checked his watch and looked at the time. "9.30 PM. Hmm. Only 150 minutes to go..." He spoke to himself and waited impatiently to sneak out of the mansion and finally meet Rebel. He was getting nervous and jittery and the more time he spent alone, the longer it seemed. Deciding to go to the gym and kill some time with a punching bag and some weights, he strode towards the destination when he was interrupted by Kurt, Bobby and Evan.

"Scott! Where are you going?" Kurt asked him curiously as the other boys looked at him for an answer.

"Just for a quick workout." Scott replied walking towards the gym.

"Jeez. Dude. You need to relax." Evan spoke as he gave him a tired look.

"I am relaxing. I'm going to the gym." Scott spoke up and kept walking towards the gym.

"That's not relaxing mein friend. Trust the fuzzy one. Wanna meet at the rec room? We were planning on playing video games." Kurt said, inviting Scott to spend some time with them.

"Uh. Aren't the girls watching movies in the Rec room?" Scott asked the boys with a look of confusion on his face.

"Ja. We plan on disturbing them so we can hog the rec room." Kurt announced their plans.

"Ahh. I get the feeling i'd be much safer in the gym than at the Rec room. See ya later!" Scott said and jogged away from them before they could pull him.

"Fearless leader, my ass." Evan shouted behind Scott, taunting him to come back. Instead Scott just kept going and ignored them. He reached the gym and changed into a pair of sweats and a sleeveless vest which accentuated his well developed abs and muscles. He put on his earphones to listen to music and started by jogging on the treadmill, slowly increasing the speed so he was running.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile at the Rec Room**_

"So Jean, how was your date with like Duncan?" Kitty asked the red haired telepath who had arrived at the mansion an hour ago and joined them for a girls night in.

"It was alright." Jean smiled and told Kitty.

"So, have you two kissed or done something more?" Amara asked causing her to blush.

"Amara!" Kitty gave her a scolding look. "So have you?" She conceded and asked her.

"Umm. Yeah. We have kissed." Jean spoke shyly and looked down at the floor.

"Whoa! So Jeannie, did you do anything more than just kissing with Jock boy?" Tabitha asked, clearly interested in getting some dirt.

"No! I'm a lady." Jean spoke and flipped her hair. Rogue rolled her eyes at the conversation and at the fact that the telepath had denied having done anything more than just kiss because she was a _lady_. Fortunately, Jean had not tapped in to her telepathy as Rogue didn't receive a rebuttal or a glare from her. Sighing, Rogue sat on a bean bag and looked at the floor. This was not her idea of fun, but she sure as hell didn't want to start a fight. Keeping her thoughts to herself, she looked at the pile of movie options which was beside her. "Ugh. Kitty. These moves are all girly. Don't ya have something more interesting?" Rogue asked the young girl, annoyed at all the chick-flicks, girly romances and boring rom-coms.

"Uh. No. Besides, this is what all girls watch." Kitty spoke, defending her choice of movies.

"Yeah. What's wrong with a girly movie Rogue?" Jean asked her rhetorically.

"Seen em once. Seen em all." Rogue drawled leaving a slight frown on her lips.

"Like Cheer up Rogue! it's gonna be a fun movie." Kitty said trying to convince her. Rogue rolled her eyes and gave in.

As the conversation finished, the boys stepped in the rec room.

"Ugh. Like get out you three!" Kitty said as she watched them enter the room.

"No way! This is the rec room. And we are gonna play video games!" Bobby spoke as he whipped up a video game pad with his powers.

"No. We like came here first. Besides, there's only three of you!" Kitty fumed in anger and folded her arms.

"No. Scott's gonna be joining us in a few minutes!" Evan lied to the girls. The mention of Scott's name, brought out Rogue's interest.

"Where is Scooter? I can't see him with you guys." Tabitha asked the boys, curious to know about their leader's whereabouts.

"At the gym." Kurt continued, "Now give us the TV!"

"No! We came here first fur ball! Go find another place." Jubilee spoke with an annoyed look.

As the arguing continued, Rogue's thoughts shifted to Scott at the gym. He was working out. Alone. Suddenly her thoughts were bombarded by the things she could do to him at the gym. She hadn't noticed the boys walk out in defeat. A smile appeared on her face as she looked at the others deciding what movie to watch. She got up and was about to slip out of the room when a voice called her out.

"Roguey! Where are you going Chica?" Jubilee asked her as the others stopped their discussion and turned towards her, looking for an answer.

Rogue stammered and looked at their faces and quickly lied. "Uh..to the kitchen!"

"Oh. Okay. Could you get me a soda?" Jubilee asked.

"Sure." She replied and dragged herself to the kitchen, grumbling about the situation.

* * *

 _ **At the gym**_

Sweat trickled down his body as he ran on the treadmill. He stopped and got down from the treadmill. After wiping his head with a towel, he took a water bottle and gulped down the water thirstily. His run had warmed him up for the upcoming workouts. He took a pair of boxing gloves and put it on. Keeping a safe arms length between himself and the punching bag, he took his stance and started throwing punches and kicks. Grunting, he punched the bag with his knuckles, in a swift and steady motion. Although his muscles were tired from the lack of exercise for the past couple days, it felt good to get back to exercising. Sweat dripped from his face and his hair was now wet as he kept attacking the punching bag with his arms and legs. He twisted and landed a side kick on the bag. Rather than forceful, it was quick and light. He didn't wan't to exhaust himself and get a sprain, only to go to Hank for a medical exam and end up getting another lecture. Instead he tactfully hit from every angle without exerting himself.

An hour had passed since his workout. Picking up his water bottle and towel, he headed to the locker room to take a quick hot shower. Coming out of the shower, he put on a white t-shirt and a pair of dark grey shorts. Walking out of the room, he went towards the kitchen to get a Soda. He passed the rec room where the girls were busy watching a movie and saw a bored Rogue lying on the bean bag. Tempted to call her out, he ignored his impulse and reached the kitchen. Upon opening the fridge, he took out a can of soda and gulped down the sugary contents, not noticing Jean standing there.

"Hey there stranger." She called out to him once she saw him gulp down the drink.

Scott swiftly turned and gave her a brief nod before returning to drinking the can of soda. "What's up?" He asked casually.

"Not much. I haven't seen you around much...you always seem to be with Rogue." She looked at him sadly, upset over the fact that he hadn't been paying a lot of attention to her since the past few days.

"I've been busy." He said feeling a little guilty about ignoring her.

"Yeah. With Rogue." She spoke venomously.

Scott narrowed his eyes and looked at her. "What's your problem Jean? Don't you want me to be happy? Why do you hate Rogue?"

"Nothing! Only that you seem to have forgotten about our friendship ever since you found Rogue." She replied angrily.

"I didn't forget. You were the one who chose to ignore me. I found a friend in Rogue. I like her and i really care for her. Why does this even matter to you? It's not like you made any effort to be friends. Why should I?" He rasped out, gritting his teeth.

"Because..." Jean spoke unable to continue her sentence.

"Because what Dammit?" Scott spat out, his anger having reached a boiling point.

"Because I like you!" Jean blurted out and reached near him. "Because i want you Scott." she held her hands up and reached to caress his face.

Scott was to say the least, shocked at the revelation. It made sense why she was being Jealous around Rogue. Realization fell upon him when he flinched from her caress. He didn't love her anymore like he did a year ago. He didn't feel angry or jealous about the fact that she was dating Duncan. He didn't feel anything towards her. He took her hands away from his face and let it fall. "I'm sorry. I don't feel that way anymore." Turning around, he looked at Rogue standing there, looking at the scene. He looked back at Jean who fuming. She had wasted her time with a guy she didn't really like, only to lose the one she liked to someone else. She was too late. She looked at Rogue and at Scott and walked away towards the rec room, banging the door telekinetically and pushing Rogue away.

"Rogue." Scott said as he walked towards her taking her hand in his and asked her. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough. I saw everything." She said and looked at him. "Are ya..are ya sure ya want to be with me? I mean, ya had been pining over Jean for so long..." she trailed off but was interrupted by Scott when he crashed his lips on hers. Getting over the initial shock, she kissed him back fervently. "That answer your question?" He pulled away, smiling at her and grabbing her waist, pulling her closer to him. "I'd say it answers a lot of questions..." She said seductively and bit her lower lip. "What kind of questions?" He whispered in her ear in a low masculine tone. "Sugah, that is for me to know...And you to find out." She replied, licking her upper lip sexily. Scott looked at her and grinned like a cheshire cat. "Well, i gotta go. The girls won't be very happy to see me gone for so long." She said and walked away from him, swaying her hips from side to side which wasn't missed by Scott. Once she reached the fridge, she grabbed a soda and turned to look at him. "Until next time..Sugah." she said as she swept a finger below his chin and walked away from the kitchen. "Don't make promises you can't keep" He uttered and gave a look of mock frustration. Rogue simply laughed and spoke "Oh I surely intend on keeping my promises." and left the room, leaving a turned on Scott all alone in an empty room.

* * *

Upon reaching his room after some time, he sighed and sat on the edge of his bed. It was 11.45 PM and in a few minutes, he was going to meet Rebel. Taking off his shorts and putting on a pair of Dark Jeans and a black hoodie, he grabbed the keys to his bike and raced downstairs, sneaking out conveniently towards the garage. He took out his bike and walked with it till he reached the edge of the mansion gate. He revved it up when there was enough distance between the mansion, so no sound could be heard and rode towards the location which Rebel had mentioned in her note. The lookout point. His heart was beating faster and faster with every passing minute as he got closer to the location. He reached the place and parked his bike nearby. Looking around carefully, he noticed that there wasn't anyone around. His face fell in disappointment while he leaned on the bike as he waited for her to show up. He waited for a few minutes till he started to worry and wondered if she would show up at all. Sighing, he got away from the bike and walked towards the edge of the cliff. There was a rustle from the branches and he turned to look where the noise was coming from.

Turning around he saw the girl who had left him, walking towards where he was standing. He saw Rebel.


	27. Chapter 27

Shellyluv34 - Thank You! Hope you like this chapter. :)

tx peppa - Haha! Yeah. Bobby and Evan are like that. :D She probably would treat Scott like dirt.

* * *

Scott saw Rebel walking towards him with a sad smile on her face. "Rebel." His voice croaked out as his emotions stirred up making his heart pound rapidly against his chest. For so long he wanted to run and hug her or wanted to shout at her for leaving him but he couldn't move. Instead, he was frozen in place while his mind was telling him to do something where as his body was not responding.

"Hi Scott. Long time no see." She spoke in a soft voice, trying to sound confident. Truth was, he knew her too well and she was hoping he didn't detect a nervous undertone. She let her eyes gaze at his form. From the time she had been with him, he had changed. No longer was he the thin, lanky, undernourished boy. Standing before her was a slim, athletic, well built and handsome young man. Although she harbored feelings towards him, she knew that's not why she asked him to meet her. Her purpose was far greater and less personal than he would have expected.

"Why?" He finally managed to ask her showing a stone cold expression.

"Which one do you want me to answer?" She asked him with a sad look.

Upon noticing her sadness, his expression softened for a minute until rage built up in him. He thought she had no right to be sad when she was the one who left him. "Every. Single. Goddamn. One." He replied gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.

Once she saw his expression change, hurt settled into her. She understood where his pain came from. He hadn't known what had truly happened and if she were in his shoes, she would have been angry too. She would have assumed just like he did...that she left him. She looked down with tears welling up in her eyes. Opening her mouth to speak, she gasped instead and cried. Immediately, she stopped and scolded herself for not being strong. They looked at each other as she lunged at him, wrapping him in a tight embrace. Shocked at the outburst, he managed to stay on his feet as he slowly wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry." She managed to speak as she burred her face in his neck. "It's okay." He choked out and continued to hug her tightly, not wanting to let go off her for the fear of her disappearing on him again. They sat on the grass as they looked at each other from the side of their eyes.

"I'm sorry." She said again and hid her face from him as she let a tear fall down her cheek.

"What happened?" He asked her as he cupped her face with his hand and wiped the tear with his thumb.

She let out a groan at his question and took his hand, entwining it with hers. "Everything." She said angrily. Scott gave her a confused look as she continued. "Scott. I...I didn't leave you. I was kidnapped." she tightened her grip on his hands.

For Scott, this was a wicked blow. It did cross his mind once when she left him that she must have been kidnapped. But, he never considered it. He always shrugged it off, thinking it was just his insecurity playing tricks on him. Shocked at the revelation he shouted out. "WHAT!"

"Rebel. Who kidnapped you?" He said, still shouting as his hands gripped hers tighter than it already was. He wanted to hurt whoever kidnapped her. He wanted to do more. To kill them. He was furious. Furious at the kidnappers. Furious at himself. Furious at everyone. She winced in pain as he held her hand a little too tightly. "Ow. Scott!" She said with a look of warning. Noticing how tightly he held her hands, he let go off it and began his apology. "Rebel. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"I understand." She sighed and continued. "Listen, we don't have much time. Some organization kidnapped me. I didn't know who they were at that time. But they were bad. They...experimented on me. I was waiting at the alley for you to show up when some men ambushed me and injected me with a sedative. The next thing i know, i am in a lab and some guy in a white coat told me i had powers. It was then that i came to know who he was. He was a bad man. He wanted me to be a part of his team. I denied but he threatened me and i had to join them. I did a lot of bad things at that time. Soon, i somehow escaped while on a mission and i found some people. The Hand. They tried to change me. They did partially succeed until a woman rescued me. I was afraid... So i ran away one night until Magneto and Mystique found me drinking to death in a bar. They then enrolled me into the brotherhood." She shuddered at the past she faced.

"Do you know their names?" The Cyclops in him took over and asked as he placed a hand on his shoulders, pulling her closer and trying his best to comfort her.

"Sinister. He's an evil Geneticist. He leads the Nasty Boys. They are very powerful and extremely dangerous." She spoke and furrowed her eyebrows. " The Hand is an order of evil mystical ninjas involved in organized crime. Assassination plots. The works. The woman who rescued me from them...Her name's Psylocke. She's a telpath and a telekinetic. She told me that they took her in when she had amnesia. They trained her just like they trained me but a man rescued her. Wolverine. He rescued her and she overcame her brain washing."

"Wait. Wolverine rescued this woman named Psylocke? Why'd you run away?" Cyclops asked inquisitively.

"I was scared that she would hurt me too. And yes. I hear he's an instructor at the Xavier Institute. The brotherhood guys told me he's harsh." She replied.

"Yes. He is. The guy can be an ass. But he isn't bad. He's a good person." Scott spoke, backing up for his fellow X-Man no matter how much he hated him sometimes he was still reliable when it came to helping the X-Men.

"So i hear." She sighed and looked down. "Scott. I have changed. I'm not the Rebel you once knew. I don't know who i am. Magneto and Mystique offered me a place to stay when i was on the streets again. I joined them. I don't fully support them but I understand their reasons. I'm not saying i want to be on their team. I know a war is brewing. He is involved. When i heard you were an X-Man, i knew you had chosen a justifiable cause. I have to know Magneto's plans in all this. If he is going to side with you or with Sinister. He's secretive and has had dealings with him in the past. I don't trust them. That's why i claimed to not know you when we met. I want to see sinister and his men destroyed. I'd kill them all if i could. I will make a move. Only when the time is right. There's one more thing." She trailed off and opened her backpack. Handing over the file she had to him labelled : Scott Summers a.k.a Cyclops.

"Rebel...what's this?" Scott continued afraid to open the file.

"Look at it when you get home. For now, i need to tell you to be quiet about this. Tell no one. Not even Xavier. Its..about your past and present... after the plane crash." She said with a scared look in her eyes.

Fear and despair fell over him as soon as she mentioned about the plane crash. He had lost his parents that day and entered an unforgiving cold world. Memories flashed in his mind. The bad ones struck him like fresh wound. He whimpered but soon he hears something or someone. They both turn their heads to the sound as reality goes wild.

Scott found himself as a child on the plane with his parents, being pushed out with Alex in the only parachutes. Soon the scene shifted to the orphanage. Someone was conducting experiments on him. Scott spent most of his childhood at the State Home for the Foundlings in Omaha, Nebraska and was subjected to batteries of tests and experiments by the orphanage's owner, Mr. Milbury, an alias for the geneticist who also placed mental blocks on Scott. They had perfected the Ruby Quartz glasses but didn't them to him after the tests, making their alibi even more solid.

"NO!" He screamed in pain. "MAKE IT STOP!" Clutching his head and falling on his knees while trying to get him. The prolonged amnesia and the mental blocks placed on Scott's mind were breaking. His past memories returned to him abruptly. Too much for a person to handle. Soon he found himself and Rogue on a cliff. Rogue fell from the cliff and cried out his name in distress. "NO! Rogue!" He shouted and tried to reach for her in his mind. The scene then changed to him and Rebel on the streets where she died from the gang who groped her. The scene too graphic and violent. "Rebel!" His voice came out weak and tired.

Rebel looked at the figure messing with Scott's head and charged at him but he skilfully avoided.

"I have enjoyed playing with your mind Scott Summers. Now i shall destroy it...with the irresistible power of D'Spayre." His voice boomed out in the quiet space.

Scott had known fear before. But this was different. As his demon foe reached through his mind to his soul and shriveled them both, he started running away in terror only to tumble and fall over a big rock, falling to the ground. He lied there for a long time. Coming to his senses, he saw Rebel being tortured by D'Spayre. Trying every tactic to hurt him but he had gripped her tightly. Shooting his Optic Blast at D'Spayre proved to be useless but the demon disappeared. But Cyclops recalled him by thinking of his past, and then grabbed hold of him. Cyclops had beaten his fear, and his resolve bolstered Rebel as she hurt him. They were then locked in a death grip. Soon everything faded as Cyclops and Rebel escaped from the place and left on his bike. The demon was gone but the entire place was destroyed.

Rebel Shivered as they reached a location. "What the hell was that!" She exclaimed. "I don't know. But if he shows up again i will kill him!" Cyclops commented harshly in anger. "He feeds on fear and despair. He called himself D'Spayre." He continued as he looked at Rebel. "He...He made me remember my past. I had amnesia. He brought back those memories. The experiments...Milbury. He...he was Nate. He placed mental blocks. Rebel. I don't know what's going on. The orphanage..." He said and looked at the file she gave him.

"Scott. I Know. Everything's in that file. All the experiments Sinister conducted on you under his alias Dr. Milbury. I don't know what he's planning but you're involved. He has an obsession with you. I don't know why or how. But you'll find everything in the file. Be careful. This is why i ignored you at the diner. This is why we haven't got much time. Whatever he is planning, involves you in a big way." She continued.

"But why? This is insane Rebel!" He shouted at her throwing the file on the floor.

She sighed and turned away. "I don't know. I wish I knew."

"Fuck! Fucking Hell! First I get attacked by a bloody demon and now i get to know that some creepy scientist has an obsession with me." He complained and covered his hands with his face. "Oh that's just the beginning. He somehow caught hold of me at the orphanage and conducted experiments on me? Why me? Why the fuck can't i get a moment of peace and happiness? He kidnapped you! Don't we deserve some happiness?" Scott asked now shouting at her. She knew his anger wasn't really directed at her but knowing that he had finally burst made her angry too.

"Get your act together Cyclops. I know we are in deep shit but i'm with you. So if you stop falling apart and actually decide to work with me, Maybe then we can finally get some fucking peace!" She spat out in anger.

"God. Rebel, i'm so sorry!" He spoke and hugged her. "I didn't mean to shout at you."

"Me neither. This is so hard Scott." Rebel sighed choking on her words.

"I know. But we will get through this together." He said and pulled her tighter. After a few minutes they leaned on his bike as she changed the subject.

"So...I hear you have a crush on some girl named Jean." She commented.

Scott scoffed upon hearing this. "Had. But not anymore."

"So i see. I noticed you were with the girl named Rogue at the diner. She seems nice." She spoke and smiled at him.

"She really is. I'm with her. It's new. I love her, Reb. You'd like her." He replied and smiled back at her.

"Well, if we come out of this unscathed, i'd love to meet her. I'm glad you've found someone." She spoke and sighed mentally.

"Deal. I missed you...you know. I loved you, but now... I love Rogue." He spoke feeling the way she had slumped her shoulders.

"I know. I missed you too. I still love you. But...i guess i was too late. I'm happy you're with her though. You and i wouldn't have worked." She looked at his eyes and then shifted her gaze to the sky.

"I still love you too. But i'm in love with Rogue. You still hold a special place in my heart. Why wouldn't we have worked?" He asked her.

"Because...we are too similar." She answered. Scott understood what she meant. They were both depressed and had a bad past. They were both used and thrown away. They needed someone to lift them up. Scott simply nodded and spoke up. " I see you are still wearing the star." He lifted the star from her neck and caressed it with his thumb.

"Why wouldn't I? My best friend gave it to me." She smiled and continued. "Where is yours? Don't tell me you threw it away!" She exclaimed.

"I would never do that. See. It's my key chain." He replied and dangled the keys with the star attached to it. They both smiled at this as he continued. "So what are your powers?"


	28. Chapter 28

Rebel saw the curiosity on Scott's face and decided to tell him about her powers. "Well, i didn't realize when my mutation kicked in. Apparently it did when one of those thugs tried to grope me. You remember that right?"

"Umm Yes. But i don't remember anything significant that happened." He told her with a confused expression.

"I know. My mutation is that i can disappear. So, the first time I did, i didn't actually disappear but i did in a sense that no one was able to track me down." She said trying to explain her complex mutation.

"Umm. So you mean that you cannot be tracked down?" He asked her, understanding little of what she was trying to explain.

"Yes. You see, if i activate my mutation, telepaths can't track me down. I simply stop existing. I'm mentally unreachable even if they are standing right next to me. Detection devices like Cerebro can't track me down either. To them, i simply don't exist. I can temporarily transfer my powers to people to help shield their minds and make them 'disappear'. Another part of the same mutation which i discovered later was that i have certain molecular abilities. I can completely disappear... but in a molecular form. I don't become invisible. I just disappear into molecules and can manipulate it. It's complicated." She uttered breathing out.

"Show me." He said and looked at her hopefully.

She simply nodded and disappeared. "Umm, Rebel. Where are you?" He asked and waved his hands towards where she was standing. He stood there, waiting for her to reappear when he felt a slight jolt of invisible energy hitting him on his back. Stumbling forward, he got back to his feet and turned his head to see Rebel slowly reappearing. "Wow!" He exclaimed in amazement.

"Well, i didn't hit you too hard. I don't want to hurt you." She spoke and grasped his hand in hers.

"What's your maximum level?" He asked her

"Well, I can push or hit a person and send them flying about 30 feet or i can kill them, but that takes more power and really exhausts me. That is when i begin reappearing involuntarily and have to recharge for a while." She answered his question.

"Whoa! Wait...how do you know...did you kill someone?" He asked her as his heart lurched in sadness, anger and disappointment. He knew what the answer was but he wanted to hear it from her. She looked down and closer her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she looked back at him straight in his eyes and replied with one word. "Yes."

"Why?" He asked furrowing his brows. Feeling a little betrayed by her.

"Because i had no other choice. The hand trained me. They almost brainwashed me. They made me assassinate people." She replied feeling ashamed of giving in. His expression softened and he pulled her close to him. Giving her a hug, he solely said "I'm sorry." He hugged her tighter as he felt the anger rising in him. Today was a day full of mixed emotions. Anger, hurt, happiness, sadness, confusion, despair, fear, surprise, shock, love. He thought about all the emotions he was going through, making him feel very unstable. A lot had happened and at times he couldn't find the right emotion to display. Everything was confusing. The more he thought about it, the more his already throbbing head hurt.

"Well. It's getting late. I should go. People might get suspicious." She spoke and stepped back. Scott nodded, not leaving her hand. "You do know that you're gonna have to leave my hand so i can actually go. Right?" She asked rhetorically.

"Rebel. I can't leave you. What if you disappear again? I just...cant. What if...!" He started choking up on his words.

"Shh..I'll not leave Scott. At least not permanently." She soothed him by rubbing his arms with her hands.

"Promise me you won't." He demanded, gripping her hands in his.

"I promise." She declared as they shook hands. "Now, don't go about casting your thoughts. No one can know about this. You know what? Here you go." She said and transferred some of her powers to him, as they felt a slight electrical sensation, so no one could trace their meeting while he slept or while he wasn't holding up his shields. "No one will be able to go into your mind for 48 hours when your shields are weak."

"Whoa. Thanks 'Bel. Come on. I'll drop you home." He said offering her the spare helmet.

"Are you sure?" She asked hesitantly since she knew he wasn't a big fan of the brotherhood.

"Yeah. I'm not gonna leave you alone here. Especially not after that vicious demon attacking us." He told her as he got on the bike and started the engine.

"Alright. But i gotta do something first." She spoke as she fastened the helmet on her head and sat behind him.

"What is it?" He asked her curiously.

"I need to get a drink." She spoke almost too fast.

"I need it too. There's a liquor store nearby. I'll take you there." Starting the engine, he rode towards the almost empty road while his best friend leaned against his back.

"I thought the leader of X-Men didn't drink. Infact, I hear he's rather...anal." She chuckled recollecting what the brotherhood members told her about him.

He let out a soft growl and replied. "Well, they don't need to know everything about their leader."

"If only they knew half the shit you have been through, You could give them a run for their money." She commented and looked at the road ahead. He let out a laugh and sped up further.

"You know. The demon's name suits him well. Despair." She quipped as smiled at her.

"Yeah. Pretty apt." He agreed and slowed down the bike, stopping at a liquor store nearby.

"Scott, we have so much more to talk about. I haven't finished talking about my powers yet. But there's no time. I hope we can meet soon. I wan't to tell you everything and i wan't to know everything that has been going on with you since...since we parted." Rebel spoke with sadness and longing in her eyes. He smiled at her reassuringly and got down from the motorcycle. Heading inside the store, he asked for two bottles of Bourbon. Paying the cash, he gave her one bottle as he took the other.

"Thanks." Rebel spoke as they proceeded towards the bike.

He started the bike and felt frustrated of all the problems in his life. Feeling like he could burst any minute, he sped up faster enjoying the fresh wind passing against his body. Rebel and Scott soon parted as they stopped a mile before the brotherhood house. They waved their goodbyes as she walked towards the place she currently resided in. The journey towards the mansion was quiet and smooth. When the gates opened, he stopped his bike and slowly got off it, walking it all across the garage since he didn't want anyone to find out that he had gone out. He opened the door to the mansion with his keys and headed towards the kitchen. Sighing, he grabbed a glass and some ice and headed upstairs to his room.

Upon entering his dark room, he reached for the lights and turned it on. A sigh escaped from hisips as he placed the glass on the table and poured himself a drink. Gulping it down at one go, he poured another one but this time saw his reflection on the mirror. He took out the folder which Rebel had given and hit it in his closet, underneath a pile of shirts. His clothes and hair was messy and dirty because of having fallen on the ground. A scratch had formed on his arm from the nasty tumble. Taking off his shirt, he decided to soak in a bath of warm water and relax his tired form. He grabbed a towel and the bottle of bourbon and headed towards the boys' bathroom. Turning on the water and letting the tub fill up, he discarded all his clothes into the hamper and examined himself for any other new cuts or bruises. Satisfied with the self check up, he headed towards the tub with the bottle of bourbon and sat in the warm water. He sighed, feeling a little relaxed.

'This is more like it. A relaxing warm bath with a drink.' He thought to himself. 'The only thing missing is a nice massage.'

Once he closed his eyes he took off his glasses placed it on the side of the tub. He slid in further so face was submerged in the water. He stayed in for a minute and didn't hear someone approaching the bathroom. The figure entered and stared into the mirror. Rogue had gone inside the boys' bathroom as the girls' room was occupied by Kitty and Tabitha. She grumbled and started brushing her teeth when she heard the splash of water and a deep gasp. Upon hearing this she accidentally dropped her brush on the floor.

"Who's there?" Scott voiced out, trying to grab his sunglasses. "Kurt? Is that you?"

"Scott?" Rogue asked, recognizing his voice behind the curtains.

"Rogue? What are you doing here?" He asked surprised to find her in the boys' room. She walked towards the tub and opened the curtains slightly ajar. "Hello Sugah!" She spoke and viewed at his form in the tub. He turned a deep shade of red, realizing he was very naked in front of her and whined. "Rogue! OUT!" She chuckled at his embarrassment and continued ignoring his words. "Looks like ya're enjoying yourself." She gestured towards the bottle in his hand as she tried to not look at the way he was lounging in the tub. How could she not? Suddenly the room was hotter than ever as she glanced at him and felt aroused. Right before her was a man who looked like a magnificently sculpted Greek god sprawled casually in the tub.

He smirked at the obvious way she was checking him out. Feeling a little bold, he took her hand with his and looked into her eyes with lust. "Wanna join me?"

Rogue's eyes widened at the invitation. Trying to stay in the game, she hesitantly replied. "Only if ya ask me nicely." He took her hand in his and kissed it, slowing inching those kisses upwards, all over her arms. Had anyone barged in, they would have had very different ideas on what was going on or rather going to happen. She moaned in delight and dimmed her eyes as he pulled her down so she was sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

" Mmm...We...should...stop.." She drawled and slowly opened her eyes to have another look at him. Upon seeing his arm she looked at the cut which had been previously hidden. "Your arm!" She spoke in a high pitch voice, alarmed that he was hurt.

"Don't worry about it. It's just a minor cut." He commented and continued kissing her arm.

"How'd ya get it?" She asked with worry.

"Mmm. Long story." He avoided the subject and gently nibbled and sucked on her hands.

"Oh. Do enlighten me!" She asked trying her best to avoid the electrifying sensations he was sending her. When he wasn't stopping she forcibly pulled back her arm and glared at him. "I asked ya a question, Summers."

Grabbing a towel and motioning Rogue to turn around as she reluctantly complied, he quickly got out from the tub and wrapped his waist with the towel and took the bottle. The water from the tub started draining while he grabbed her hands and paced towards his room speedily. He closed the door to his room and grabbed a pair of pants and a t-shirt.

Looking at her sitting on the bed, he glanced away and sighed. "I met Rebel around midnight."


	29. Chapter 29

Tx Peppa - I think Scott is a deeply misunderstood character. He was particularly awesome in astonishing X-Men. As for Rebel, she won't be playing him. Atleast not right now. :D

Tyedyejackson - Glad to see you back! I never even considered Rebel to Be Mr Sinister! Nice idea. Dammit! :D Anyway, Rebels gonna be an important part in the future chapters. Hopefully I won't bore the readers to death xD

* * *

"But...how?" Rogue asked Scott in confusion.

''She slipped me a paper at the diner which had a time and place written on it when she headed towards the ladies room." He explained to his girlfriend while putting on his boxers and pants.

Rogue mulled over the answer for a minute and replied. "That's why ya left abruptly!" Scott nodded confirming her suspicion.

"Why didn't ya tell me?" She asked him, not understanding his need for secrecy.

"Because...she told me to meet her alone and I didn't want to put you in possible danger." He confessed and looked at her expression. As if carefully examining a specimen, she squinted her eyes and folded her arms. There was an evident frown on her face and her nostrils flared while she was trying to control her temper. "You didn't want to do what?" She asked a little too peacefully. He reluctantly nodded at her question and tried defending his actions. "I didn't know if she was playing me and i did not want you to get involved because of that reason alone."

"You could have told me that you were gonna meet her. I wouldn't have stopped." She said in a hurt tone.

"That wouldn't have played out well. You and I both know that you would have come with me upon seeing the note and lets not forget the fact that she wanted to meet me alone." He replied, clearly having thought and planned out the strategy.

"Ya know me too well, Sugah!" She agreed and reached towards him. "So...what happened?"

"Here's the thing. Before i tell you more, I want you to do something. I want you to touch me." He reached closer, filling in the gap between them.

"Isn't it a little early for that? Touching you?" She smirked and commented.

"Let me clarify that. I want you to absorb me. Absorb some of Rebel's powers so i can show you everything." He replied, not having the patience to retort to that remark.

"What? Why would i do that? How do you have her powers?" She asked in confusion.

"Just trust me for once and do this." He replied.

"Sure. A vague reply. That's what i get!" She quipped and rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" He uttered and grabbed her waist, planting a kiss on her lips. Rogue didn't have time to register but she automatically placed her arms around his neck. She kissed him back fervently. 'Wow.' She thought to herself. He led her towards his bed, not breaking the kiss as she stumbled and landed in the middle with Scott on top of her. The heat coming off each other was unbearable to them while she laid back and moaned in his mouth. He took this as a positive sign and hovered on top of her as she pulled him closer, wrapping her legs around him. Her hands roamed all over his bare chest as she traced a finger around his nipple. He moaned in delight as his hands slowly but firmly traveled upwards form her waist, tracing the curves with his fingers. She shivered and arched her back while he leaned down and bit her neck. "Ohhh. Scott!" She called out his name as he sent her waves of pleasure and bliss. He reached up and met her mouth with his again while she scratched his back. His grip on her tightened as she induced his lust and hunger. Soon, her powers emerged as she tried pulling away form him but failed. He only grabbed her tighter until she was drawing in his powers. When she felt a touch of shock, noticing they were new powers which did not belong to him, she quickly withdrew from him as he fell limp on her.

Panic filled in her as she rolled him back to the side of the bed. She shut out his memories, focusing on his powers and Rebel's. She controlled his powers emitting from her eyes and reached towards the bedside drawer where he kept a spare set of glasses. She put them on and saw the world in red. Looking at him, she placed two gloved fingers on his neck and noticed that his pulse was steady. Sighing in relief, she sat on the other side of the bed and pulled him closer so his head rested on her lap.

Once she got hold of the powers, she looked at his memories and saw flashes of Rebel, The incident with D'Spayre and Herself. His memories came pouring out to her as she tried to shut them off. It was too powerful. There were too many emotions involved. Too much horror when she saw how the demon had played with his mind. The experiments, the orphanage, Rebel, The folder. Too many things were going on in his head which she looked at. She wanted to scream out but managed to muffle her voice by grabbing a pillow and screaming in it. She panted and clutched her head trying to get rid of the memories. After what seemed like ages, she calmed down and found herself sitting on the floor and leaning against the bed. She got up and looked at Scott who was still unconscious. She figured out everything that had happened when he decided to go meet Rebel. Grief came over her as she let her tears flow freely. She hadn't known Scott was so badly hurt and tortured.

Scott got up from his unconsciousness feeling like he had the worst hangover ever. He looked at Rogue who still had tears in her eyes. He remembered that he made her absorb him. He felt guilty and terrible but it had to be done. "Man. You pack quite a punch." He tried joking around.

Rogue looked at him with teary eyes. "I had no idea."

He reached towards her and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry. But it had to be done."

"I understand." She replied and looked at him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to. But you know why i couldn't. How much do you know?" He asked her with a heavy heart seeing her in pain.

"I know you met Rebel. I know about the demon who brought back your memories...The experiments...Scott, I'm so sorry...the time she transferred you her powers." She trailed and let her tears fall.

"Rogue. I'm so sorry you had to see that..." He spoke and gently cupped her face, wiping her tears way with his thumb. They hugged and lied down on his bed while he filled her in with all that had happened and how he felt. "I don't know what to do Rogue. He conducted experiments on me. Put mental blocks in my head. He kidnapped Rebel. Everything is so fucked up." He droned and covered his face in her neck, pulling her closer to him, afraid to let go.

"We'll figure it out, Sugah." She murmured softly and soothed him by running her hand over his hair.

He slowly lifted his head so he was facing her and looked into her eyes with adoration and whispered, "I love you."

"I love ya too." She looked back at him with those soft eyes and pulled his neck towards her, gently kissing him on his lips. They lied next to each other, with entangled arms for a while in comfortable and peaceful silence.

"Mmm." Rogue purred in his ears as she slowly stretched her arms and legs. "What time is it?" She asked as she caught him looking at the ceiling, zoned out from the world.

"Hmm?" Her voice broke his thoughts as he turned towards her and looked at her. Registering the question she asked, he responded back while twirling her platinum hair around his finger "Does it Matter?"

"No." She simply stated and rested her head on his bare chest, listening to his heart beating steadily. The sensation some how soothed her as she closed her eyes in content.

"Rogue. I don't want to lose you. Ever." Scott suddenly uttered out what he had been thinking.

"Huh? Where did that come from?" She asked looking up at him in confusion.

"I don't expect any promises. But, i just want you to understand that i can't lose you." He said an possessively grabbed her waist and moved her on top of him.

"Ya won't lose me Sugah." She declared as he let a faint smile escape his lips and kissed her with a firm grasp on her waist. This was not a loving kiss. It was passionate and full of need and felt like any minute something bad would happen and not let them be together. She kissed him back with the same conviction and let her hands roam about on his bare chest while her body was pressed to his. He pulled her tighter with one arm over her waist and another grabbing her behind, pushing towards him and pressing against his manhood. She cried out in pleasure, sensitive to touch more so than the others because of her powers and started moving up and down, feeling their bodies heat up in intense passion. He moaned and moved with her, his length rubbing against her sex. He kissed her as they let their tongues explore each other's mouths while their hands explored their bodies in heated passion. He moved his lips towards her neck and left a trail of kisses. He started sucking and gently nibbling on it causing her to grasp his hair tighter. It was getting hotter than sun and all she wanted to do was to take off her clothes and have him right then and there. But as luck would have it, her powers emerged as she reluctantly pulled back with a chaste kiss. He grasped her waist as she sat on top of him with her legs around his waist. She grinded against his upper thigh, giving into the temptation and arched her back. Noticing the bulge in his pants she cupped her hand around it as he let out a gasp and closed his eyes. Rubbing up and down, she stimulated him while he reached for her, cupping her breasts and rubbing them with his thumbs causing her to let out an involuntary gasp, as they raggedly breathed and moaned eachother's names. "Oh. Scott. Don't stop. Please." She manged to speak as they continued with their Romp. Moments later when they both reached the stage of pure bliss, their pacing hearts slowed down while she got off him. He grabbed her waist and gave a peck on her lips. They both got up as she proceeded to leave his room to get changed when he stopped her.

"Rogue. I'm...sorry if i hurt you." He spoke and looked ashamed.

"Ya didn't hurt me Scott. In fact,I thoroughly enjoyed it Sugah." She smirked at him and took his hands in hers. She guided his hands to her pants and made him feel her. His eyes widened for a moment until lust took over him as he pinned her against the door and leaned in towards her, close enough to touch her lips with his. Reluctantly, he let go off her after being reminded of her powers.

"I am Sorry we couldn't do more...because of my powers." She stated in a guilty tone.

"It'll get better. I promise. We can figure out some way to get...closer if you want." He said and hugged her. She felt his warm body press against hers and closed her eyes for a second. She smiled and quickly left the room to change from the heated session.

Getting inside her room quietly so as to not wake her roommate, she placed a hand on her heart and sighed. She thought to herself. 'That man really knows how to turn me on. He's impossible.' Getting a new set of underwear and pants, she trudged towards the bathroom and changed. Coming out, she reminded herself to not get carried away.

Meanwhile, Scott moaned as she closed the door behind him. He thought about the way they almost had sex. Or more practically, dry humped each other to oblivion. She made him lose all common sense and made him act like a hormonal teenager. He didn't care about anything else when he was with her. Everything about her made him go crazy with lust, love and passion. He ached for her. The way she swayed her hips, her firm and beautiful form. He mentally kicked himself for being so out of control but a part of him thoroughly enjoyed it. Trying to distract his mind, he changed into a clean pair of boxers and pants.

She entered his room and saw him putting on his t-shirt. She was mildly disappointed but knew it was sensible if they were to sleep on the same bed. Reaching towards him, she kissed his lips as they both fell on the bed. It was 4.00 AM and they still didn't feel like falling asleep.

"Hey, lets not sleep for a while. I have a plan." Scott spoke out and looked at her with a knowing grin.

"Whats your plan?" She asked quizzically, raising an eyebrow.

"It's a surprise." He replied and got up form the bed. "Meet me at the kitchen in 20." He said and walked out of the room leaving her perplexed.


	30. Chapter 30

Thanks to everyone who has been reading the story patiently. I know it's quite big, and there are probably some chapters which are boring but hopefully, it will get better soon. :) Do review and let me know what you think so far. :)

tx peppa - Haha! I had written down this whole big nasty argument about that. But i decided against it when i got a headache and couldn't continue. I thought it would be better to make them more mature instead of having a fight. Speaking of fights, stay tuned. :D

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Rogue wondered why Scott had left her upstairs and asked her to meet him at the kitchen after a while. She looked up at the the ceiling while lying down on the bed and wondered how her life had turned around. Never in a million years would she have guessed Scott ever loving her and here he was giving it his all in the relationship. A smile appeared on her face which slowly turned into a frown as she thought about her powers.

'What if I never get to control my powers? What if I kill him one day just because i touched him longer than a few minutes.' She presumed, starting to feel sorry for herself. Doubts and insecurity loomed over in her mind like the plague. What if Scott left her for someone else? What if she could never touch Scott. Never feel his warm hands in hers. She played around in her mind with the what ifs and other hypothetical scenarios. Shaking her head, realization fell upon her that she wasn't really trying. She had turned cold and untrusting when she acquired her powers. She pushed them all away. All this time, she hadn't really tried controlling her powers because she was drowning herself in self pity, mourning over her powers. Mourning the life she had instead of embracing the life she was getting. Then Scott came along and made her think. She thought about him a lot and how it would feel like to touch his skin. To feel the warmth. She joined the X-Men only because of him. She knew she couldn't trust anyone in the brotherhood. They weren't bad but they didn't care for her. Yet, the guy who was supposed to be her enemy helped her and made her trust him. If it weren't for him, she would still be living in the run down house of the Brotherhood having to listen to Pietro yapping away, Lance causing earthquakes, Todd being disgusting. When she did join, he was the only friend she had. It broke her heart to see him pine over Jean. Now, not only did she have close friends like Kitty and the others, she had a loving brother, Kurt and most importantly she had Scott. Initially she had a hard time believing he loved her and not Jean. But as days passed, their relationship only seemed to grow stronger. He trusted her enough to tell her about his life. She understood why he was like the way he was. She started to hate how the others viewed him as a stoic, stick up their ass leader with no emotions and life as dull as butter knife. She heard the others crack mean jokes at him and how he tried his best to not take it to his heart. She felt angry on behalf of him at the way the others viewed him. He thoughts drifted to the way he made her feel so loved. She smiled at the way he lingered when he hugged her and the way he smiled at her. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep where their moments were forever etched in her memory.

Scott entered his room and caught a sleeping Rogue. She looked peaceful. Gone was the guarded look which she had often portrayed. Right before him was a sweet and caring girl sleeping peacefully. He sat next to her and ran a thumb across her face and lips. "Rogue. Wake up love." He murmured in her ear and kissed her forehead.

"Mmmm. Five more minutes." She mumbled in her sleep and turned around.

"ROGUE!" He shouted out as she jolted awake. "Wha..!" She said sitting straight up, looking at an amused Scott. He burst out laughing while she gave him a death glare. "SUMMERS! I will kill ya!" She growled and lurched at him. He caught her hands with his and gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry. But you said you'd stay awake. I only prompted you to get up."

"Jerk." She uttered and glared at him with her hands folded.

"Come on. Here. Wear this." He said and gave her his jacket while he put on another Jacket. She put it on and he took her hand while they walked out.

"Where are we going?" She tried asking him in a pissed off tone but instead turned out to be rather a curious tone.

"Out." He said simply as they stepped down the stairs.

"Why is it that ya love giving vague answers?" She asked in frustration.

"Just trust me. You'll like it. I hope. If you don't, you can punish me by giving me a kiss." He replied with a smirk.

"So it's punishment to kiss me?" She asked, having caught him.

"Nope. But it's one punishment i'd very much enjoy." He looked at her with a wide grin, looking smug.

"Wipe that smugness off your face Summers." She retorted playfully as they reached the kitchen. He grabbed duffel bag which he had laid on the counter as they started to walk towards the main door.

"Ooooh are we running away?" She asked faking an excited look.

He rolled his eyes at her and replied. "Is that the best you can come up with?"

"It's your fault. You woke me up." She muttered as they walked out in the lawn.

Grabbing her hand, they kept walking with Scott leading and taking her hands in his. They came upon a clearing "Ah. This is where ya're taking me? What's the big surprise?" She said as they reached the destination a few minutes later.

Scott simply smiled at her and laid a kiss on her gloved hands. "Voila, Mon Cheri." He said looking at the lake in front of them.

Rogue giggled at his attempt to speak french. "Is this your way of buttering me up Summers? By the way, what's in the bag?" She asked.

"Part of the surprise. It's not much but i hope you like it." He spoke and opened the bag. He took out a blanket and laid it across the grass, right in front of the tree. Reaching into the bag, he pulled out two pillows, covers and a thermos.

"Whoa. What's all this?" She asked in surprise while he sat and leaned his back against the tree with a pillow behind him.

"Come here." He told her and reached his hand out for her. She took it and sat on the blanket. He pulled her to him as she laid her head on his chest. He pulled the covers over them and handed her a pillow which she put on her lap. Reaching for the thermos, he opened it and poured a warm cup of cocoa and handed it to her. She smiled and started sipping the warm beverage. "I thought we could watch the sunrise. Since it's 4.30 AM already." He spoke to her and kissed the back of her head. The night was pleasant and silent. He put his arms around her as she sighed in happiness. "Scott. This is so sweet. Never would have pegged you as a romantic."

"Fair Katherine, and most fair, Will you vouchsafe to teach a soldier terms Such as will enter at a lady's ear And plead his love suit to her gentle heart?" He rambled, remembering the play they were doing in Literature class together. That was the day he started liking her and feeling something more than friendship towards her.

Rogue Chuckled at him. "Ya're such a sap, Summers. But i'll play along. Your Majesty shall mock at me. I cannot speak your England."

He grinned and proceeded to continue. "O fair Katherine, if you will love me soundly with your French heart, I will be glad to hear you confess it brokenly with your English tongue. Do you like me, Kate?"

Rogue tried not to laugh as he continued with the charade. "Pardonnez-moi, I cannot tell what is "like me.""

Turning her around, just enough so their faces met, he gazed deep into her emerald eyes as she stopped grinning while he whispered in all seriousness. "An angel is like you, Kate, and you are like an angel." Her heart was beating rapidly at the way he whispered out those words in her ears. She could never get enough of it ever since she heard him say that while they were practicing for the play. He was unsteadily breathing, with his eyes locked on hers and leaned in closer. She was sure her heart never jumped so rapidly in her life. He thought he never wanted to look at anything else other than her. He noticed a speck of a different tint in her eyes making it gleam in the moonlight which made him marvel at her exotic southern beauty. The longing became too much. They closed their eyes as his lips met with hers. Her mouth was warm and he tasted a hint of cocoa. A current ran through her body as the temperature grew warmer. She threw her arms around his neck as his hands gripped her waist gently. He made her feel elegant and lady like, the way he softly held his hands around her waist. They were lost in each other's warm breaths and soft lips. Soon, they parted reluctantly and slowly opened their eyes, dimmed enough to look at each other like they were the only people who mattered that night.

Rogue uttered with a hitch in her breathing, "Ya really are a charmer." Scott smiled and together they sat drinking hot cocoa under the starry sky basking in comfortable silence.

Soon a hint of daylight appeared and the sun rose slowly over the horizon of the lake casting light in the dull and dark atmosphere. It cast it's reflection in the still waters of the lake and the golden rays poured into the lake making the water shimmer like tiny diamonds in the sea. Spreading out, the rays fell on the grass and the leaves making them feel alive and fresh with glistening dew drops. The young pair looked in awe at the beauty in front of them.

"Wow." Rogue Voiced out while looking at the Sunrise. He brought her closer with her back leaning on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her body. He placed his chin on her shoulder and murmured in her ears. "Yeah. Makes you think how insignificant everything else is."

"It sure does, Sugah." She agreed and let her hands hold his. Sighing blissfully, she turned to look at him and noticed that he was looking at her with a soft smile on his lips. She smiled back and pecked his lips in contentment. "Thank Ya, Sugah."

He smiled at her and replied, "The pleasure's all mine my love."

"Awww. Such a gent!" She chimed. In her mind she beamed with Joy. Listening to him talk to her with endearing words made her heart flutter. Never had she felt so special and loved by someone. As the Sun shone brighter Scott spoke up "We should probably head back inside."

"Mmm. Yeah. I am feeling a bit tired from stayin' up all night." She replied in agreement.

He reluctantly got up and packed all their belongings into the bag. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up so she could stand. He carried the duffle bag in one hand while his other was reaching out to her. Turning her around slowly, he looked into her eyes and cupped her face with one of his hands and kissed her lips. He parted soon and they headed towards the mansion, holding their hands together.

As they headed inside, they trudged up the stairs slowly. She gave him a sweet smile and started to head to her room when he grabbed her arms and spun her around.

"Can you sleep in my room, next to me?" He asked her hoping she wouldn't turn him down.

"Sugah, i'd love to but it's 6.00 am. If anyone wakes up, they'll find out. I already slept there once. If i sleep in your room again, they will surely suspect." She spoke anticipating him to understand.

"Screw them." He muttered under his breath, peeved at the fact.

Rogue chuckled at his behavior. "I'll see ya at noon." She kissed his cheek and left towards her room while he stood there with his hands folded. "Rogue!" He called out to her as she turned around. "What is it?"

"Nothing. I'll see you later." He quickly replied and walked towards his room leaving a perplexed Rogue behind. She wondered what he had wanted to say but sleep was beckoning her. She shook her thoughts and made a mental note to ask him what he wanted to talk about later.


	31. Chapter 31

It was 10.00 am and the mansion was awake, bustling with activity. Everyone was awake. Some were having a late breakfast, others were in the rec room and some were hanging out in the mansion grounds except two people who were asleep in their respective rooms after having spent all night together. The fact that the leader of the X-Men wasn't up didn't go unnoticed. Ororo, who was in the kitchen wondered why Scott and Rogue had not shown up.

"Yo Kurt. Where's Scott?" Evan asked as he finished his breakfast. Kurt, who was still gulping down food shrugged, not knowing why their young leader wasn't up yet. "Don't know. Let me check." He said and teleported to Scott's room. Ororo had overheard their conversation and hoped that Scott wasn't in trouble. Lately the boy was getting difficult to read and had become rather distant from everyone but Rogue. Kurt reappeared and looked at Evan. "He is in his room. Sleeping."

"Sleeping? And Scott? Hah!" Evan replied in disbelief that one of the earliest risers would sleep in late.

"Hey, Where's Rogue?" Evan asked Kurt as he realised she was missing.

"She is asleep. When I told her to wake up, she like threw a pillow at me and told me to leave her alone" Kitty replied and started wondering why the two mutants were sleeping in late. 'Hmm ...could it be?' Ororo listened in on the conversation and gathered enough information to know exactly why they were sleeping in. 'Hmm. They must have spent the night together.'

* * *

 **Rec Room**

Jean was sitting in the study with the professor. He had called her to inform that he and Ororo were leaving the mansion for a couple of hours.

"Since Ororo and I will be away, Scott and You will be left with the responsibility of making sure everything is alright around the mansion. We will be gone for a couple of hours, call us if there is any emergency. If you need any help, Hank's in his lab." The professor spoke as he rolled his wheelchair outside the study.

Jean nodded towards him and followed him. "Don't worry Professor. We'll make sure everything is in shape." The professor gave her a nod of appreciation as they headed towards the kitchen. "Ororo. Shall we leave?" The professor asked the white haired woman.  
"Alright, Charles. Evan, stay out of trouble." She reminded her nephew and gave him a Stern look. "Gotcha, Auntie O.' See ya later." He told her and took out a pack of Juice.

Once the adults left the mansion, the kids lounged about in the rec room contemplating what to do with their free time. They heard the doorbell ring as they headed to the front door to see who it was. Jean opened the door while Kitty, Kurt and Evan looked behind her curiously at the stranger.

"Hello. May I speak to Professor Charles Xavier?" Said a tall burly man in his late 30s.

"Uh. The professor isn't around. May I know your name?" She asked the man standing in front of her.

"Fred Duncan. FBI. Is Scott Summers around?" The man asked in a no nonsense fashion. Jean and the others gave him a surprised look. She could sense them all having questions popping up in their heads. 'Why was he here? Why does someone from the FBI want to talk to Scott and Xavier? Whats going on?...' He cleared his throat as they continued to stare at him.

"Umm yes. I'll ask him to come down. May I know what you need him for?" Jean spoke up finally shutting out the thoughts being projected from others.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you. I'd appreciate if you called him now." He replied curtly, not having the time to chat with others.

Jean glared at him rudely and considered reading his mind but decided against it, while Kurt who was listening in to their conversation behind the door teleported to Scott's room.

"Scott! Wake up. Some guy from the FBI vants to talk to you!" He shook his shoulders and woke him up.

"Mmhh. What? Where is he?" Scott asked getting up from his sleep.

"Downstairs." Kurt spoke up.

"Do you know what he wants?" Scott asked curiously.

"No. He vanted to talk to zhe professor but he isn't here so he asked for you." Kurt replied fast.

"Okay. Teleport me there Wagner " Scott spoke switching into leader mode.

"Aye aye captain." Kurt replied and grabbed Scott's shoulder, teleporting them near the door. Scott reached the door and looked at a man standing there. Upon recognizing his face, he opened his mouth to greet him. "Mr Duncan. To what do I owe this visit?" He let out a small smile on seeing the agent who played a part in his rescue from Jack Winters.

"Scott. How are you doing?" Fred Duncan shook his hands and asked the young man who was standing in front of him.

"Alright." Scott answered vaguely.

"Can I speak with you privately?" The agent asked him in a hurry.

"Sure. Come in." He said and let the man inside. "Follow me." He said and walked ahead leading the man towards the study. He closed the door to his study while Jean, Kitty, Evan and Kurt decided to stay in the room right outside the study.

Scott sat on a chair behind the desk and motioned the agent to sit on the other side. "What can i do for you Mr. Duncan? I must admit I am quite surprised to find you here." He said, leaning forward.

* * *

"Jean, why don't cha peek into their minds to see what they are talking about?" Evan asked her.

"Because it's unethical!" Jean spoke aloud in irritation.

"Come on Jean. For all we know Scott could like be in trouble." Kitty said, wanting to know what they were talking about.

"Yeah, Jean. Don't be such a party pooper." Evan spoke, taunting her.

"Ugh. Fine." She said and concentrated on the voices coming out of the study.

"Scott, This may come as a shock to you but... Jack escaped Prison." A voice which sounded like the agent's originated from the study.

"What?" Scott spoke and visibly paled. All the bad memories poured in his mind as anger built up in him. "How?" He managed to growl out the word.

"I.. we are still figuring that out." The agent spoke with concern. "We will do everything in our power to find that man." He affirmed the young man who was silent.

"Scott...Are you alright?" Fred asked him as he hadn't uttered a word. Scott merely nodded and looked away from him.

Fred sighed as he remembered what had happened to Scott. The bad memories flashed in front of his eyes while he blinked to stop them. He had seen Scott's terrible state when he and Xavier rescued the boy. He was malnourished, had on dirty clothes, was messy, hurt from the physical abuse and torture Jack had put him through. "I'm sorry Son."

"Do you have any leads as to where he could be?" Scott asked wanting to find his foster father and end the matters himself. His eyes glowed bright red as he looked dangerously angry and yet composed enough to make a grown man squirm.

"Not yet." He said avoiding looking at Scott.

"Alright. Please let me know if you get more information." Scott spoke trying to control his anger.

The agent nodded and stood up. "One advice kid. Don't throw away your life by doing something you'll regret." Scott nodded and watched the man leave the room.

Jean had spoken to the eager bunch about what she heard and the things she saw in the agent's mind which had shocked all of them. None of them had a chance to discuss about what they heard as the door to the study opened and they saw the agent leaving. Jean escorted him to the door leaving the rest of them behind.

Scott came out of the study after having composed himself for the sake of others not finding out anything. He looked at the bunch who happened to be right outside the study looking very guilty of over hearing the conversation. He narrowed his eyes at the realization and quickly turned away gritting his teeth and clenching his fists in anger, walking towards the stairs without casting them a second glance. Taking in deep breaths in order to calm himself down, he opened his door and slammed it shut. Shouting out a curse he threw away the things lying on his desk in a fit of rage as his eyes burned behind his glasses. He was considering seriously hitting something, for he couldn't contain his anger any longer. Deciding it was best to not hit anything in his room and end up destroying the property, he wore his uniform and walked briskly outside his door and towards the danger room. He would have to wait for the professor to come back to track down Jack in order to truly get over his anger. Until then, the danger room was going to be his target.

* * *

As Cyclops entered the danger room, he activated the training program. "A-6. Activate."

The danger room quickly transformed into a battle zone. Several holographic robots appeared, targeting him. He unleashed an optic blast and wiped them out while the walls started closing in on him. Quickly jumping, he climbed on top of the wall and flipped to the other side. Mechanical drones then appeared as he narrowly avoided being hit in the arm. He turned around and turned his visor, unleashing another optic blast obliterating them to pieces. Right behind him, a holographic image of men in masks appeared. One of them crept up behind Cyclops as he kicked him off the ground. He turned over and looked at the men. The men leaped at him as he stood up and laid a punch on one of them. "Now this is what i'm talking about." He uttered and kicked the guy on the side. The man fell while Cyclops turned his head to see another attacking him. He ducked and lifted the man up and threw him on the ground. Another man ran charged towards him, growling. He quickly took that to his advantage and shifted to the side, clutching him by his arms and flipping him off the ground. Two large men were approaching him as they circled around him lifting their hands. He mimicked their actions and slowly paced around in his space, turning as they turned with him. The man who was on his left charged him first with his fist meeting his Jaw. Cyclops staggered for a second, wasting no more time he bent and swiped his leg around the man's legs and watched him fall.

"Just you and me left. Now are you gonna be a pussy like the others or are you gonna put up a real fight?" Cyclops taunted him as the man leaped at him with a loud roar coming from his throat. Cyclops backed away as he gained the momentum to jump. He punched him hard on his face as the man fell down. The fallen man got up and Cyclops kicked him down. He loomed over the man and punched him on his stomach repeatedly until the holograph died down. Just then, a few wrecking balls with spikes appeared and swung towards him. He managed to dodge the first one by somersaulting over to the other side when the other wreaking ball headed straight towards him. He unleashed an optic blast which pushed the ball towards the other one in the front. Unleashing a quick precise blast, he clipped the chains as they fell on the ground with a heavy thud. The simulation stopped as he got up and looked around at the damage. He shook his head in disappointment, thinking that the session wasn't hard enough. "This is a fucking joke." He uttered and left the room.

He walked towards the locker room to get changed when he encountered Rogue walking towards him with a worried look on her face.


	32. Chapter 32

Thank you for the reviews! Keep em coming. :) I hope my dear readers like this chapter. I know it's been a while in comparison to previous updates and this is a short chapter, but i have been super busy. Hope you like this chapter! :)

txpeppa - Yeah, that is a possibility. Lets see what happens. :D

TieDyeJackson - Yeah. :( I feel sorry for him too! But, as the saying goes...now that you've hit rock bottom, there's no where to go but up! :)

* * *

He let out a sigh as Rogue inched towards him. Her forehead was creased with worry when she looked at him. "Is everything alright?" He asked her in a less than concerned tone, still angry about the morning.

"I should ask you. Kurt and Kitty told me about your conversation with the FBI agent." She replied back with a softness to her voice she hardly showed to anyone. Anger flashed across his face when she mentioned their names. He had caught them spying on a conversation that was meant to be private. "So they've sent you to spy on me. You can tell them to shove it." Scott stated and brushed past her towards the men's locker room.

Rogue was surprised at his cold behavior but she had expected it. When Kurt and Kitty mentioned that they had been spying by convincing Jean to read their minds, she had gotten mad at them. She knew Scott was a very private person and they had betrayed his trust. She stood outside the locker room, contemplating to go in and calm him down or to wait outside. Deciding on the former, she headed inside and heard the sound of the shower. She looked around and saw him in the third stall with his back towards her. It was easy identifying him because of the semi partitioned frosted glass doors. She saw how his shoulders were tensed up and the way his head hung low.

"You do know you're not supposed to be in the men's locker room. Right?" His voice came from the pouring shower, echoing around the empty locker room.

"How'd ya know i was here?" She asked a little surprised since she thought he hadn't acknowledged her presence earlier.

"I was blind for a while... Why are you here Rogue?" He asked her point blank.

"Because ya walked away from the conversation we were having." She said and walked towards his stall. Scott merely grunted and turned to face her.

"I know they did a wrong thing, but at least don't take it out on me." She continued when he didn't respond to her.

"I'm sorry for taking it out on you. But don't try to defend them. I know Kurt's your brother and Kitty is your friend, but it doesn't mean i have to listen to you taking their side when we both know they are at fault." He spoke with hatred in his voice.

"Sugah, did it ever occur to ya that i'm on your side?" Rogue asked as she leaned against the door. Scott sighed while turning off the shower, proceeding to wrapping a towel around his waist. Rogue moved from the spot as he opened the door and went past her towards his locker.

"Scott. Don't shut me out. I am here to listen." Rogue told him. He turned around to face her and spoke out loud. "I'm not shutting you out!"

"Ya are!" She argued and put her hands on her hips.

"Rogue, leave me alone. I can't do this." He spoke in a low growling voice and opened the locker. She saw him shake and noticed a faint hitch in his breath.

"No, i won't. I know you are angry. So, just let it all out." She said and wrapped her arms around him, resting her face on his back and hugging him. He stiffened for a minute and then relaxed by slumping his shoulders. It felt good to let her comfort him. They remained in that position as he let her hug him, relishing the feeling of her skin on his bare back and her arms around his torso. He turned around and hugged her but the hug was cut short because of sounds coming outside the door. He gave a frustrated sigh and rubbed his head. "Great." He murmured sarcastically under his breath.

"Crap. What do we do?" Rogue asked him. They barely had any time to plan as the door swung open revealing the younger mutants entering.

Ray, Roberto, Sam, Jamie and Bobby entered the Locker room while arguing about who was going to lead the session. Bobby had elected himself to be the young mutants' leader since he considered himself to be more 'experienced' than others. "No way Man. I'm more experienced than you. I should be leader." He spoke to the others while they told him off. Their eyes quickly landed on Scott and Rogue who were standing near the locker staring at them.

"Rogue. What are you doing here?" Bobby asked her as she stumbled for an explanation while all eyes were focused on her.

"My glasses fell and she was nearby. She noticed me calling for someone and handed me my glasses. She was just about to leave." Scott smoothly lied with a calm tone. She often wondered how he could lie so well to the others and put on a stoic face. "Thanks for finding my glasses." He turned towards her while she gave him a nod and exited the room without looking back. 'Whew. That was close.' They thought in their minds as Scott Proceeded to put on his clothes. The boys eyed him suspiciously and then shrugged it off, smirking at the young man. "Man, i wish i wore glasses." Bobby commented while the others sniggered at his comment. Sam slapped Bobby's head when he saw Scott cast an angry glare. Scott shrugged and walked away from the room muttering under his breath about blasting everyone one day.

* * *

Scott walked towards his room and saw Rogue sitting on his bed with a nervous look.

"They bought it." He commented while checking her out. He had felt a lot better since she hugged him in the locker room.

"Yeah. Thanks to your lying skills." She cast him a wicked smile and got up from his bed.

"Is this gonna be a habit? You barging into the locker room while i lie about why you're in there?" He asked her with a tone of false disapproval.

"Well, it depends. Are ya gonna avoid talking to me when ya're pissed?" Rogue retorted sharply with a smug smile on her face as she stood up to face him.

"I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that i don't want to." He replied back and smirked back at her.

"Are ya sure?" Rogue asked him in a not so innocent tone.

"Hmmm. Is my memory going, because i swear i could remember you telling me earlier that you wanted to listen." Scott retorted with an impassive face.

"Okay. Jeez. No need to be so snarky." Rogue replied back and rolled her eyes, shooting a death glare at him. "That's it? Ya're just gonna ignore your feelings and brood?"

"Why, that's highly perceptive of you!" Scott remarked sarcastically as Rogue leaped at him. He managed to catch her hands before she could punch his arms "Cyclops! You can be such as ass!" She shouted at him while he pushed her towards the bed. She stopped muttering and looked at him leaning on her with lust and anger clearly written all over his face. His expression changed quickly while he got off her. "I'm sorry." He said to her and walked towards his desk to grab his keys.

"Don't be. That's the only emotion i have seen from ya so far." She reached over and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"I'm broken." He muttered softly in her hair, returning back the hug.

"Aren't we all?" She asked rhetorically and took the keys form his hand and threw it back on the desk. Grabbing his hand, she led him towards his bed and slowly pushed him to sit on the edge. She leaned over him while her hands gently nudged his shoulders towards the soft mattress. He gave an exhausted sigh and entwined her hands in his and pulled her towards him. He was lying on the bed and looking up at the ceiling while Rogue was at his side, with one arm of his around her waist and the other entwined in hers. She lovingly caressed his soft brown hair while her eyes studied his hard set jaw. She knew he was repressing all the anger which was building up inside him. He needed an outlet. She contemplated over what she could do to help while studying his features in silence. Her hands slipped to his jaw while she cupped it and turned him to face her.

"Hey...We'll get through this Sugah." She said, trying to put some assurance in his mind.

Scott let out a shadow of a smile when he heard her call him with an endearing name like 'sugah.' It made him feel good and at comfort whenever he heard her sweet southern accent. Very few people ever got to see this side of the sassy southern goth and he felt lucky to be one of them. He stared into her eyes while he placed his hands over hers, tracing it with his thumb.

Just then Kurt teleported to Scott's room as the young couple parted fast upon hearing him. Unfortunately they weren't fast enough when Kurt appeared and looked at his sister lying in bed with his best friend. His eyes widened in shock. "Vhats zis?" Kurt asked them in a worried fashion. "Did i interrupt something?"

"Uh..No. Rogue was just making me feel better about earlier." Scott said hoping that Kurt wouldn't find out about their relationship.

"Are you trying to fool zhe fuzzy one?" Kurt said disbelievingly.

"No. We are just hanging out." Scott lied and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Kurt, I can't touch. Remember?" Rogue joined in solidifying Scott's lie.

Kurt looked at them for a moment and decided to believe them. He let out a grin and showed his jovial nature. "Heh. If you two vant to be togther you have my blessing."

"KURT!" Rogue shouted and threw a pillow at him. He teleported fast enough to Scott's side and looked at him. "Hey, I'm sorry about vhat happened earlier. We didn't mean to pry." He looked at him in an apologetic manner.

Scott felt the distaste arise in his throat. "Yeah. Don't let it happen again." He muttered and got up form the bed. Kurt's tail felt limp upon being treated coldly from his best friend. He knew Scott was going through a rough time. A part of him wanted to help Scott but another knew it was right to leave him alone. "Vell, We are here for you. Oh and zhe Professor vants to see you two." With those final words he parted and teleported away from his room.

Scott looked at Rogue with a frustrated sigh. "Ugh. Lets just get this fucking mess over with." He muttered as they went down towards the study to see the Professor.


	33. Chapter 33

Thanks for reading this. Any constructive criticism is welcome! :)

tx peppa - Yeah, i like that she is always there for Scott. And your wish is my command. :D

* * *

 **At Xavier's Study:**

Scott and Rogue found the X-Men, Storm, Beast and Professor X having a conversation once they had entered the study. The X-Men which consisted of Jean, Kitty, Kurt and Evan, tried to avoid any eye contact with Scott, looking very guilty because of spying on his conversation with the agent. The adults had a look of concern and pity etched on their faces. The professor looked rather upset over the whole situation. He had never wanted Jack to escape. He had his suspicions that Jack would try and find where Cyclops was and he absolutely loathed the idea of anyone causing the young boy any sort of harm. He had taken him into his care and was his guardian and therefore he considered it was his duty to protect the boy who had become more like a son to him. He decided to not waste any time and spoke up to Scott and everyone in the room.

"Scott my boy. It has come to my attention that Jack...your foster father has escaped form prison. I am very sorry to hear that but we will keep you safe. Also, the others have something to say to you." He uttered and pointed his hand towards the X-Men.

"Scott, I..uh...I'm sorry. I didn't know." Jean was the first one to speak as she shuffled her feet in nervousness.

"Yeah. Sorry Scott. We like...shouldn't have talked Jean into spying on your conversation with Mr. Duncan." Kitty chimed in, feeling bad about intruding in his personal space.

"Yeah dude. We didn't mean to...you know...overhear that you had a Jerk of a foster father. We will find him and kick his ass dude. No one hurts our friend!" Evan spoke with his usual agitated and harsh manner. Anger flared in him for someone treating Scott so badly that the FBI and the professor had to rescue him.

"EVAN! Watch your language." Storm Scolded his nephew and gave him a glare. Evan shrugged it off. Normally he would have felt guilty and would probably be scared of his aunt but at times like this, he didn't care who he offended if anyone hurt the people he cared for.

"Dude, the fuzzy one is sorry too. Ve are here for you if you need us." Kurt spoke and placed his hand on Scott's shoulder in order to comfort him.

Scott just shrugged his hand off and looked at everyone. "Great. Is there anything else anyone needs to say or shall i go back to my room?" He asked in an annoyed tone.

"Scott, we are sorry. The X-Men didn't mean to spy on you. I hope you can move along." Xavier spoke, trying to defend them. He could feel Scott's hostility grow at this point and sighed mentally.

"Sure." Scott said in an calm icy tone which would even make Bobby shudder.

"Would you please leave? I have something i need to discuss. _Privately,_ might i add. Scott. Rogue, please stay back." The Professor spoke to the X-Men and turned his head towards the young couple. The X-Men turned to leave and closed the door behind them. The professor did a quick mental scan to see if anyone was lurking outside the closed doors. When satisfied that no one was eavesdropping he decided to speak to the young mutants who were looking at him impatiently.

"Now, Warren has asked to invite the two of you in a small get together. Knowing how it was you two who extended him an invitation to join the institute, he would very much appreciate it if you two could make it." The Professor said and looked at the reactions of everyone in the room. Everyone was taken aback, especially Scott and Rogue.

Rogue smiled politely and looked at the Professor and asked. "Sounds good Professor. When is it?"

"About a week from now. Its on Saturday. You'll leave on Friday night and stay there for a weekend and come back early Monday morning." The Professor spoke with a smile as he explained the departure and arrival.

"I'd rather not go. Give Warren my apologies. I have important matters to tend to." Scott spoke and turned to leave the room.

"Scott. I know what matters you have to tend to and i can confirm that we will find Jack. You are too involved in this and you are not going to face him. That's final." The Professor spoke curtly as his patience was being tested. He didn't want Scott to get hurt.

"I can and I will face him. I have to stop him before he ruins any more lives or decides to use a poor kid to kill some innocent person." Scott was fuming as he clenched his Jaw.

"Scott...don't force me." The professor warned him.

"Or what?" Scott shouted out and walked towards the professor facing him and looking him in the eye. "Maybe you haven't noticed but we will catch him sooner if i am involved."

"Charles, the boy is right. Jack probably wants to see Scott. If we plan this out, we could catch him." Storm who was quiet until now, mentioned in a calm tone.

"Sigh. Fine. On two conditions, you run through the plan by me." Xavier conceded and put out an ultimatum. "And you fight with the X-Men. Not alone."

"What! I am not letting my team near that Jackass." Scott shouted, not agreeing to Xavier's condition.

"Yes, you are. And that's final." Xavier fought back and spoke in a stern manner.

"Fine. I'll let you know when i come up with a plan." Scott spoke and left the room. Little did everyone else know that he had two plans. Plan 1: How to defeat Jack and Plan 2: How to not let the X-Men and Rogue fight his battle. Rogue quickly followed him out of the room and cornered him.

"What's the plan?" She asked him knowing too well that he would have planned already.

"None of your business. You are staying here." He spoke with an evident frown on his face.

Rogue glared and snapped back at him. She had been patient with him for so long, this was the last straw. She was growing tired of him avoiding her questions and concern. "It is my business when it concerns the X-Men, Cyclops."

"Lucky for you, it doesn't. This is between me and Jack. So stay out of it." He said with his usual stubborn manner.

'The boy can win an oscar for being stubborn.' Rogue thought in her head.. "So you lied to the Professor and everyone else?"

"Yes. I had no choice." He replied back and folded his arms, looking at her directly.

"What about me Scott? Why'd ya lie to me?" Rogue asked in a hurt tone. Lately, all he did to her was hurt her in some form or another.

Scott sighed and responded "Because you will get your way into coming with me."

"So what? A little help doesn't hurt anyone." Rogue replied back and mirrored Cyclops' stance.

"You are not going anywhere near him. Understand? I won't allow you to do that." Cyclops spoke harshly, flaring his nostrils in anger.

"Ya're not the boss of me! Ya don't own me! Got it? If that's not clear to you, maybe we shouldn't be together!" Rogue shouted back at him and pointed a finger at his chest.

"I know i'm not the boss of you and i sure as hell have no intention of owning you, but you have no right to get involved in my business. Its mine. Not yours. Understand? And if you wan't to go around threatening me with our relationship, then fine. Go ahead, break up." He felt his blood boil at the comment Rogue made. How could she think that he wanted to own her? Why would she bring their relationship in the middle? Just a few minutes ago, they were lying on the bed together.

"I thought we were partners. I thought ya trusted me to get involved but i was wrong. All ya've been doing is becoming snappy towards me. I don't need this." She said and turned her back. She couldn't let him see the hurt on her face and the tears springing from her eyes.

"Fine by me! Lets just call it quits. Lets ruin our relationship because of one little fight. You know, you said i was afraid of being in a relationship but you are too and you're just walking away from it instead of facing it like i did." Scott replied back angrily as she walked away from him. After hearing what he said, she turned her back and gave him a glare that would send the strongest men covering for protection. She squarely punched him in the Jaw and replied. "Don't think i am walking away from this relationship because I'm scared. And don't ever lie to me. You walked away until i made ya face it. So unless ya stop being a hypocrite, don't come back to me and stay outta my way." With that, she left the room and never looked back.

Scott watched her go while he rubbed his Jaw. "Man, she hits hard." He muttered under his breath. A smile appeared on his face as he thought to himself. 'Plan 2: Getting rid of Rogue - success. Now i only have to get rid of the X-Men.' With a tired look, he went upstairs to his room to plan out all the ways he could catch Jack.

* * *

Scott was in his room plotting on how to get rid of the X-Men and how to catch Jack when he heard a knock on the door. He opened it to find Ororo standing there with a kind look in her eyes. "Hey Scott. I just wanted check in with you. How are you doing?" She asked the young mutant with a warm smile.

"I'm fine." Scott replied back, clenching his jaw and tensing his muscles.

"You don't seem fine." Ororo spoke after observing him for a minute. She wasn't convinced with his answer.

"Gee. Whatever gave you the idea?" He said sarcastically.

Ororo glared at him. This boy was getting more difficult to manage every day. "Don't give me that attitude Scott." She warned and stared at him.

"Whatever. I'm going out. I won't be here for dinner. Don't wait up." He replied back nonchalantly as if her stare hadn't bothered him. Picking up his keys he brushed past Ororo before she could keep him from walking out.

"Scott summers! Get back here this instant unless you wan't to feel the wrath of the Storm!" She spoke in a bold, authoritative tone.

"You're threatening me with...weather?" Scott asked, mocking at her. When she didn't reply, he walked away and didn't look back. 'Whew. One of these days, she's gonna fry me.' He thought to himself. He knew Storm was Powerful and didn't deserve being mocked. He also knew she was holding back from destroying him and for that he was grateful. She didn't deserve the attitude but he had to get her out of the picture too. 'Two down, 5 to go.' He walked towards the garage and took out his bike. 'One of these days, i really have to start working on my car.' He revved up the engine and sped away from the Xavier mansion.

* * *

Scott was riding his bike towards the lookout point. The bike came to a halt as he got down and parked it nearby. He saw someone's back. Noticing that it was a girl, he stood on the other side of the point and looked at the girl on the side. Upon noticing the familiar face, a smile tugged on his face.

"Nice seeing you Rebel." He spoke as he turned up behind her. Shocked by the sudden voice behind her, she turned around and flipped the man over, thinking he was out to hurt her. Upon noticing his face her eyes grew wide as she cupped her mouth with her hands. "Shit! Scott, I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you."

"Fuck, Rebel!" Scott exclaimed as he winced in pain. He got up from the spot and looked at her. He could see that she was guilty by the expression she showed. This was his fault since he snuck up on her. He felt guilty and groaned in pain. "Sorry for sneaking up on you."

"Sorry for kicking your ass." She replied back with a self satisfied smirk.

"Wow. For a minute i thought you cared." Scott replied back and grinned at her.

"So what brings you here?" She asked and looked at him with her curious eyes.

"Hmm. This is my spot. I come here to get away from it all. What about you?" He answered her question and asked her the same.

"Translation: You come here to brood." She said, knowing too well that he used to think a lot about all the unhappiness around him. He shrugged at her indifferently as she uttered. "Same."

"So what were we talking about before a crazy demon tried to kill us?" He asked and put an arm around her. She leaned her head on his shoulders and spoke out. "Well..."


	34. Chapter 34

_Thank You for your reviews! I hope that you continue to enjoy this story. Any suggestions are welcome! :) Kinda getting a writer's block._

* * *

"We were talking about my powers." Rebel stated. She walked towards the edge of the cliff and sat on the dry muddy ground.

Scott followed her and sat next to her. "So...what about it?" He asked while looking at her intently.

The sky was dull and the clouds were still as she stared aimlessly upon the scenery. "They are not powers per say. More like extensive combat training, sword fighting and martial arts."

"Cool. So this organization you mentioned...The hand? They trained you, Wolverine and...Psylocke?" Scott asked wondering if he got her name right.

"Amongst many others." Rebel replied back.

"I've seen Wolverine fight. He has been teaching us some of the martial arts. You're as good as him?" Scott asked out of curiosity.

"I don't know. I have never fought Wolverine. But...like Psylocke, I was taught how to defeat all the members because i had to fight against 'The Chaste.' They were their biggest adversary. The Chaste and Psylocke helped me overcome the brainwashing once i accessed their location by climbing 'The Wall.' It's a sheer cliff. Those who fail that climb are not considered worthy. I succeeded and they fought against me. Master Izo and Psylocke realized i had been almost brainwashed and they helped me out. Then Psylocke and I left the place and i kinda ran away because... everything had become too much. I did not know who to trust and who to not. I had been used so many times...And you know the rest." Rebel answered as a tear involuntarily slid down her cheek.

"I'm so sorry Reb." Scott spoke and hugged her.

"Me too. Well...at least i can kick your ass." She humored as her lips turned into a smile.

Scott chuckled and hugged her tighter.

"So how are you taking in the news about Sinister?" She asked and moved away from his hug.

"Still processing it I guess. I'm more worried about Jack. He's my former foster father. He was a piece of shit. He made me commit crimes and was eventually arrested but he just broke out. He is a mutant." Scott spoke and grabbed his hair for a moment.

"Shit. What are you gonna do?" Rebel worriedly asked him.

"Go after him." Scott simply stated and looked at the edge of the cliff.

"Alone?" She asked and turned to face him.

"Yeah." He rasped out while the wind picked up. His hair covered his eyes which were in turn covered by his ever present shades.

"Good for you." She commented and looked at the sky again. She pulled back her hair and placed it behind her ears.

"I might need to borrow your powers." Scott looked at Rebel who was enjoying the cold crisp wind against her face.

"Why?" She found it puzzling for a minute and realized why. "Oh."

"Yeah. I need to 'disappear' so i can fight alone." He confessed to her.

"Fine. But i'm coming with you if you need my powers. It's a package deal." She smirked at him. Was he thinking he could get rid of her so easily?

"No. I didn't even let Rogue help me. Infact...got into a pretty big fight. I think we broke up. But it's for the best. I can't let her near him. And i sure as hell can't let you near him." Scott said with a frown on his face. He wasn't having any of it. He didn't want to put the two girls who he cared about the most, in danger. "Jack is powerful. He is a telepath and is resistant to psychic attack. He can apparently teleport. But worst of all...he's the living diamond."

"All the more reason you need me. I'm not Rogue...so if you are scared about her fighting just because she will absorb his memories and will have to live through all the bullshit, i understand. But I am resistant to psychic attacks. You know i can disappear so that's a plus when it comes to teleportation. As for strength and energy, combine both of ours and it's a win." She spoke, persuading to let her go go find Jack with him.

Scott sighed. "Fine. There's one more thing. The professor subdued him with an ultrasonic vibration inducer. I'll let you know once i get my hands on it and we will go pay him a visit." He said and gave in. Rebel had always managed to make him give in. She was as stubborn as he was and he knew he could count on her. "But if that man hurts you...he's dead."

"If that man hurts me, i'll personally kill him myself." She spoke and got up from the ground. Giving him a hand, she helped him get up and transferred some of her powers to him. "This will last you 2 days. Meet me here at the same time day after. Don't be late." She spoke and walked away from him.

Scott nodded and returned to his bike. He started the engine and rode back to the mansion in relative peace and quiet.

* * *

Upon reaching the mansion, Scott parked the bike in the garage and headed upstairs to his room. He had a lot of thinking to do. He decided to sneak into the lab at night and check where the inducer was kept. He heard a knock on his door and motioned the person behind to enter.

Jean entered with a look of pity on her face. He hated that. Hated it whenever people looked at him like he was some broken china doll. "Scott...uh..Storm wanted you to know that dinner is ready." She said and quickly left the room. He furrowed his eyebrows as a look of disappointment flashed across his face. Getting up from the bed, he trudged down the stairs and entered the dining room. He looked at everyone who was assembled there. It was eerily quiet. They stopped talking when he arrived. He gathered that they were probably talking about him. He received looks of pity from everyone present there.

"Great." He muttered to himself inaudibly and sat down next to Rogue who was glaring at him. He looked right at her when she scowled and turned her head away from his look. Dinner was quiet with the exception of chewing, Bobby tapping his feet impatiently, Kurt eating with his mouth open and the clinking of silverware.

"Ororo, could you please pass the salt?" Scott asked to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Sure." Ororo said while passing him the salt. The others felt visibly relieved that someone was talking even if that person was Scott.

Rogue Scoffed and shook her head. She continued to eat her food without looking at him.

"Is there a problem?" Scott asked facing her.

"Whatever." She responded with a frown and picked at her peas.

He wanted to shout at her and kiss her. He wanted to tell her that he still loved her. He grinded his teeth together and got up. "Excuse me." Taking his half eaten plate, he put it in the dishwasher and walked out of the room while the others looked at him in a puzzled manner. Upon noticing him get up, Rogue looked at him and lost her appetite. She did the same and got out of the room leaving the others even more confused.

"Umm? What just happened? Did we say something...?" Bobby asked the others, unsure about the scene.

"I guess not?" Kitty replied unconvincingly. Jean humphed while the three adults looked at each other perplexed. Ororo wondered if the young couple had gotten into another fight. It wouldn't be surprising since they were both stubborn and closed off. She sighed and ate her food in silence.

* * *

Rogue had followed him up the stairs. Without any word she walked towards her room and plopped down on the bed. Sadness and anger took over her while she rummaged through her stack of CDs trying to find some blaring music to listen to in order to not let her mind wander.

Scott on the other hand, lied down on his bed and sighed heavily. He noticed how angry Rogue was and the guilt that it was his fault was eating him up. He never felt so terrible. He knew this was not going to be easy, but in his mind he also knew he had to do this. He didn't want her to fight his battle, especially not with someone who physically tortured him. Sighing, He knew he was in for lonely nights yet again.

* * *

 _ **Next Morning:**_

"Shit." Scott cursed as he accidentally spilled coffee on the floor. He was tired and worn out after tossing and turning all night, unable to sleep due to the fight with Rogue. Taking a mop, he cleaned the floor and gulped down some of the coffee in his mug. He headed to the garage and climbed on the motorcycle, heading towards the school.

The day couldn't go quick enough for him. Between receiving glares from Rogue and Duncan for two completely different reasons and receiving guilty looks form the rest of his team mates, he hoped to avoid all the drama around him. He spotted Paul standing near his bike. The blond guy was waving at his close friend. He smile and looked at his friend. "Atleast i have one friend." He muttered under his breath and reached to him.

"What's up Scott?" Paul asked him. He had taken a week of absence because of the flu.

"Paul! Good to see you man. How are ya?" Scott asked the boy who looked alive and healthy.

"Good. I hear you've been getting in trouble." Paul stated with a wide grin. Scott frowned and ignored him. Finally he spoke. "Listen Paul, I gotta go. I'll see ya later." And with that he took off towards the mansion.

* * *

Upon reaching the mansion, he looked at Rogue who was standing at the front porch. She still hadn't spoken to him and was beginning to get worried. She glared at him and turned around, walking back and disappeared inside the mansion.

He had parked his bike in the garage and grabbed his tool box and headed to the lower levels of the mansion which was connected to the space. That is where all the vehicles had been kept hidden from everyone. He walked towards the spot where his car was situated. The car was fully covered. He slowly removed the cover from the car. During the accident, he had known and saw the bad shape his car was in. Yet, after a few days he looked at the wreck and was stunned. "Shit." He mouthed out. "Fuck! This is gonna take a while." He took out the parts of his car, or what was remaining of it. Although the damage was mainly cosmetic, he knew there would be more hidden damage and it would cost a lot to fix it. But the emotional attachment to his car was too much to just let it go. He was dressed in a formal shirt and jeans. Removing the shirt, he grabbed a well fitting spare t-shirt and wore it as he started with the long, arduous process of fixing his beauty.

It had taken approximately 4 hours to fix only one part of his car when he heard footsteps approaching towards him. He glanced up and looked at the intruder. It was the younger mutants. Tabitha, Amara and Jubilee. "Great." He groaned and muttered to himself as he saw them approach him.

Jubilee was chewing her bubble gum and blew a bubble which popped as soon as she got a look at the car. "Whoa!" Tabitha exclaimed at the wreck in front of her while the other two girls looked at the damaged car in utter disbelief. "Scooter! What did you do?" She asked and stressed out the words.

Scott emerged from the back, covered in grease. He wiped his hands on a cloth and turned to look at them. With a nonchalant look he spoke. "...And I thought i was the one with visual problems."

"Oh my god! How did you wreck it? When we heard you were in an accident, we didn't know it was this _huge_!" Jubilee exclaimed and spoke way too fast. _'Jeez, I bet her secondary mutation is speaking too fast. She hardly breathed.'_ Scott thought and rolled his eyes at them.

"I was bored so i decided to crash test it." He stated sarcastically and looked at the other three with a poker face. The girls almost believed him for a minute but realized his sarcasm. He was already packing and closed his tool box. He left the three standing there with no good comebacks thrown at him and headed to the upper level.


	35. Update

I know I haven't updated the story for a long time!

There are some parts I do not like very much so I will be re writing the story. It wont change too much.

Also, I have been so busy that I couldn't write a proper chapter. It might be delayed further. But I will complete my story.


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